Johannesburg is South Africa’s largest city. It has a diverse range of areas, ranging from slums in Soweto, to luxurious apartments in Sandton. Midrand is one of the more affluent suburbs on the northern edge of the great African metropolis.
At a glance…
- Days To Spend: 1
- Get Around: Your own car or ride hailing apps
- Get In and Out: By your own car, or maybe the Gautrain
- Pay: With a card always, in South African Rand
- Speak: English
- See: Nizamiye Mosque, St Sergius Church, Brew Hogs
- Should you go?: Only if you’re in Gauteng already
General Impressions
Though Midrand is one of the richer parts of Joburg, the ever-present poverty is still felt within this suburb. Rubbish often lines the streets, and traffic lights have about a 50% chance of working. There is still the ever-present feeling of not wanting to walk around outside, and being out after dark is a big no. There are a few things worth seeing in Midrand though, in spite of what I’ve said.
Public Transport
Getting Around
This is practically non-existent. The only “public” transport in Midrand are the ubiquitous mini-bus taxis, which are dangerous to use for tourists and white people. This is due to both a risk of robbery, and incredibly reckless driving. Instead, Bolt and Uber provide a reasonable alternative that gets you around fairly cheaply.
Getting In and Out
Having your own car is always the best option, but failing that, you can use Uber/Bolt even for longer distances. There is also the Gautrain, a rail connection between the cities of Gauteng that is fast, safe, and reliable, though we never got the chance to use it.
Food
South African food is synonymous with grilled food – indeed, despite BBQ being my favourite way to cook food, I was sick and tired of it after 5 weeks in South Africa. One notable restaurant to visit is Spurs – a family restaurant, and a place most South African children know and love from birthday parties.
Drink
In terms of alcohol, South Africa has a blooming craft beer sector, which you can explore by getting yourself a Beer Passport, that will give you free beers in any of the pubs featured between it’s covers (there’s quite a lot, including a fair few around Midrand!). Wine, however, is the most ubiquitous of South African alcohol. It is incredibly cheap and delicious, though you’ll struggle to visit a vineyard in Gauteng. Still, supermarkets will sell excellent bottles at unmatched prices for you to sample.
Money
Due to the risk of robbery, few people carry cash. As such, pretty much everywhere will accept card, except for street/road sellers.
Language
South Africa has 12 national languages, and English is the one they use as a lingua franca. As such, it’s best to use it throughout. Some white people will prefer Afrikaans, which is generally mutually intelligible with Dutch, but they’ll generally also know English.
Time
There’s not a massive amount of stuff to do in Midrand. All the main sights can be seen in a day.
Safety
Johannesburg has a very negative reputation. Though Midrand is one of the safer areas, one must still take some precautions: avoid walking, don’t flash your wealth, and stay at home at night.
My Favourite Spots
St Sergius Church
Not normally open to the public, I contacted the priest to see if we could see inside. I am glad I did so, as St Sergius is a stunning, modern Orthodox church, catering to a small Russian community, mainly originating in post-Soviet Collapse immigration.
Nizamiye Mosque
A truly massive and breathtaking mosque (along with an entire Islamic complex), built by a Turkish businessman and modelled on a mosque in Ankara. Nizamiye Mosque is well worth a visit to see the beautiful interior.
Brew Hogs
Our first experience with South African craft beer was the Brewhogs brewery, a microbrewery located in Midrand. For a relatively small fee you can get personally shown around the facilities, and get a couple of pints included in your ticket. A great chance to find out more about beer brewing and sample some truly good brew.
Spots That Might Be Good
Madya Khailash Temple
Just outside of Nizamiye Mosque is a small Indian temple. They are not used to seeing tourists, but the colourful building is worth seeing.
Conclusion
Midrand makes for a cool one day trip if you are staying in Gauteng, but is far from any “place you must see before you die” lists.
We May Roam 