Inside look: Hidden gems and local secrets of South Africa's largest city

Johannesburg (or Jozi to locals) started as a gold-mining camp about 140 years ago and grew into Africaʼs money-making powerhouse - a city where old downtown grit meets modern-day wealth

The citys heart beats in Maboneng Precinct: a re-born industrial zone thats now filled with art-spaces cafes and cool hangouts (its name means place of light in Sesotho). Just north‚ the super-rich Sandton district shows off its glass towers and fancy shops‚ with Nelson Mandelaʼs huge statue standing proud in its central square

Getting around here needs some street-smarts: mini-bus taxis zoom past following their own traffic rules; while the high-speed Gautrain offers a comfy ride from the airport for 230 rand. For safety its best to use e-hailing apps or metered cabs

The citys must-try food is iKota - a working-class sandwich with an interesting past:

• chips
• processed meat
• cheese
• fried egg
• atchar pickle
• “Russian“ sausage

This mega-sandwich costs between 12-100 rand depending on whatʼs inside. Its roots go back to apartheid times when black mine-workers werenʼt allowed in restaurants

The music scene here is hot with Amapiano - a mix of house jazz and afro beats. You can catch live shows at spots across town or at the yearly Joburg Day fest which happened couple months back

For nature-lovers theres lots to do: Hennops has easy-going 2km walks while brave hikers can try the tough Rustig trail. The famous Kruger Park (about 4-5 hours away) lets you see the Big Five for 486 rand entry fee

Fun fact: with 6 million plus trees Jozi claims to be earths biggest man-made forest. But dont expect constant warmth - winter nights here can drop below zero

Remember: when meeting locals its better to ask how to say their name right than make up nicknames. And keep your valuables hidden when exploring downtown