Johannesburg, South Africa – it’s got to be one of the most exciting, vibrant cities on the African continent.  OK, so it may not be the quietest or most peaceful city in the world, and you’ve probably read or heard the most dreadful stories about it.  But if you’re coming to South Africa – to pay a visit to our “Mother City” (AKA Cape Town) having been-there- done-that with the other gay cities – please don’t give us a wide berth.  Whilst Cape Town may be regarded as Africa's pink city, Johannesburg, located in the heart of the gold-rich Gauteng province and home to more than three million people, is a place gay travellers will enjoy as well.

Come and smell the roses in a city, that despite being just over a century old, has a rich and fascinating history, buzzes with a variety of people and cultures – not only Zulu and Xhosa (wait until you’re taught how to say that!), but Joeys (another nickname for the city) also has large populations of Portuguese, Italians & Greeks who’ve been here for generations – our restaurants certainly reflect our cosmopolitan culture. 

Like other major cities, it has many faces and guises, just dig a little deeper – you don’t have to be an adventurous daredevil either – and forget the urban legends and the perceptions that suggest that we live in a crime-ridden, city whose gold is now a little tarnished.  Yes, there is crime – and highjackings – and you can’t see many of the magnificent houses because of the walls – and yes, some of them us do have electric fences on top.  But WE live here and most of us hail from Durban and Cape Town and other places that only just appear on maps – and although we love and regularly visit our “home” towns and cities we wouldn’t live anywhere else!

See the rest of this article here in the Purple Roofs Newsletter