South Africa with Family – Johannesburg

Last weekend I was back in Cape Town, to visit for a few days with the children out at Baphumelele and another volunteer friend of mine, Jayney, who was also in Cape Town from New York City. But, I had been back before, at the end of May / early June, during a two week trip to South Africa with my entire family.

We started in Johannesburg. I remember, upon first arriving in Johannesburg last October, finding amazement that I was actually in Africa – everything seemed so new and different to me. Now, after 5 months in Kenya (at that time), I felt that I had landed in Europe or the US! What I thought seemed underdeveloped before, now, compared to Kenya and other Sub-Saharan African countries, seemed modern, efficient and very “first world.” Where I thought I had observed poverty before, now I realize you have to search more for it – actually drive into Soweto or Khayelitsha – whereas, in Kenya, you are hit with poverty on every street corner, you cannot escape it, it hits your daily life much more directly. True, South Africa has some overwhelming problems – the HIV/AIDs and orphan crisis, vast townships, uncontrolled immigration, crime and, I think, still a very segregated anti-Apartheid society – but, maybe because of its developed economy, maybe because it did not have the same type of colonial history as other parts of Africa, maybe because tribalism does not seem as much a factor, maybe it has better resources, maybe because its first anti-Apartheid ruler was Nelson Mandela, maybe because corruption does not seem as rampant – I’m not sure – but it gives me more reason to be hopeful that in due time its government and peoples will sort out these problems. Plus, I just love South Africa, and am fascinated by its history and peoples all the same.

We spent two full days in Johannesburg, which was plenty of time. Johannesburg has some good shopping and restaurants, and there are some must-see sights, but basically it is a large business-oriented city without much for tourists – or at least not as much as the rest of South Africa, in my opinion. Most of the places we visited I had seen before when there last October, but it was fun to share the experience with my family. We toured Soweto, the excellent Apartheid Museum, Mandela’s house, and the Hector Pieterson Memorial. And, we had lunch at Wandi’s, a shabeen in Soweto, and dinner at Moyo’s, a South African-themed restaurant, both where I had eaten before.

But, we also spent more time driving around the downtown and suburban areas of Johannesburg – just viewing the life there, whether it was roaming on the street of the Newtown district or locked-up behind walled compounds in the Rosebank suburb. We had a car with a driver/guide for both days, which is about the only way a tourist can safely get around Johannesburg, I think. Crime such as car-jackings are still a large problem. And, best of all, we had some other great meals at different restaurants, such as Linger Longer in the Sandton suburb, where we had a dinner that could have rivaled most in NYC! But, after two days in Johannesburg, we were ready to catch a flight to the coastal town of Port Elizabeth.

(Pictured: Eating! In line to get food at Wandi’s shabeen; Jesse, Amy and Matt (dressed alike it seems) with painted faces at Moyo’s)