My favourites are Art Africa for clever, creative contemporary items and Kim Sacks Gallery for contemporary porcelain and pottery and finely crafted more traditional objects :
Art Africa 62 Tyrone Avenue, Parkview 011 486 2052 Mondays to Fridays 9am to 6pm Saturdays 9am-4pm
Vibrant colour and extensive use of recycled materials, there are lots of funky [...]

Johannesburg has wild life parks on its doorstep: Pilanesberg Game Reserve a two hour drive away – has the Big Five and although the Rhino and Lion Park is much more restricted and on a way smaller scale, it does provide an interesting introduction to Africa’s wild life species.  Given this, the Johannesburg Zoo is still a good option [...]

… with thanks to the November issue of House and Leisure (page 140).  Of the ten reasons  to visit Johannnesburg, seven are in the Greater Rosebank Region. The other 3 are:  Joburg CBD, including Arts on Main, and the Cradle of Humankind.  The 7 in the Rosebank Region are listed by House and Leisure (with different numbering) [...]

The town is a-buzz with its latest architectural and cultural landmark.  Circa, a striking elliptical building on the corner of Jellicoe and Jan Smuts Ave, is the daring project of Mark Read of Everard Read Gallery fame.  Seemingly encased in dark streamlined metal fins, the Gallery space has 3 levels.  Exhibition spaces are visiblethrough glass from the [...]

A bronze sculpture of a lone man seated on a chair and holding his precious saxophone, was unveiled on 25th September.  
Located outside the ‘original’ Kippies Jazz club in Newtown, and designed by Guy Du Toit and Egon Tania, a second empty chair encourages the spectator to sit next to the figure of Kippie Morolong Moeketsi [...]

Alexandra Township, commonly known as Alex is a mere 4 km from the heart of the wealthy CBD of Sandton. Home to some 350-400,000 people it covers an area of about 28 square km. (Compare this to Soweto’s +/- 150 sq kms and ca 1.7 million people.) Present day Alex is divided roughly into 3 [...]

Descending to look at the underground dig

Another great opportunity here in Jozi.  Yesterday, two friends and I visited Swartkrans, near Sterkfontein in the Cradle of  Humankind.   What a wonderful day!  One of South Africa’s 8 World Heritage sites, the Cradle is rich with fossil-bearing cave deposits spread over 13 different sites .  Fossils from several [...]

Yes we are spoilt. South Africa faces so many challenges, challenges with which both locals and the rest of the world are ALL  too familiar. However a day like this last Sunday makes up for a lot. In the spring, SAPPI a very large paper making public company, generously sponsors concerts at the National Botanical [...]

Little beats a week-end in the bush. Spent 4 nights in the Kruger National Park in early August  at a bush camp called Talamati in the central area of the Park, west of the big main camp Satara.  August is the best time for the Kruger Park as it is dry and game congregates around [...]

Am very excited as I’m off to the Kruger Park this coming week-end, leaving the guesthouse in the very capable hands of Zac, Catherine and Thandi. My locum Olga, who moves in with her husband Dick, takes over my daily tasks and role in the running of the guest house. I can barely wait for the early morning [...]