Johannesburg In Your Pocket - September 2015 - January 2016

Maps Events Restaurants CafĂŠs Nightlife Sightseeing Shopping Hotels

Johannesburg and Surrounds

September 2015 - January 2016

Spring Fever Joburg blossoms as an art city

Living large A guide to local luxury N°6 - R35 ISSN 2311-3944

9 772311 394000

johannesburg.inyourpocket.com

Contents E S S E N TI A L C I TY G U I D E S

Quick picks

6

What to eat, drink and do at a glance

What’s on

7

A round-up of the best events

Neighbourhood A-Z

14

Find your way around

Joburg with teens

15

Keep them happy for up to three days

Arriving & getting around

16

Hillbrow from the sky (see p. 49) Heather Mason

Planes, trains and automobiles

Where to stay

22 34

All City Centre addresses listed in the guide are referenced to the map on pages 64 and 65

Rooms to suit all budgets

Where to eat Restaurants, cafés and coffee shops

Art Joburg

Joburg basics

60 Essential information for your stay.

Maps: Neighbourhoods p. 14, Soweto p. 47, City Centre p. 64, Sandton p. 66

19

Emerging art capital

Nightlife

38

Summer bars, rooftop parties and craft beers

Sightseeing Maboneng Apartheid history Tours and Museums Soweto Ekurhuleni Pretoria

43 43 44 45 46 49 50

Gay Joburg

51

Party with pride and much more

Luxury shopping

52

A guide to indulgence

Shopping

55

How to spend your money

Sport & outdoors

58

Deep breathing and great escapes

Grooming Pampering essentials facebook.com/johannesburginyourpocket

59

EDITOR’S NOTE In Your Pocket City Guides publishes independent editorial content. We make every effort to ensure our information is accurate at the time of going to press, but assume no responsibility for changes and errors. Venues are selected by our editorial team, and listings are not paid for.

September 2015 – January 2016

3

Foreword Jacarandas aren’t the only things blooming in Joburg in spring. The city has recently been the toast of the international press, declaring it one of the top emerging art capitals in the world. Turn to our Art Joburg feature on p. 34 to see why. Just a little more than 125 years old, Joburg is finally starting to blossom as a luxury destination, offering all sorts of opulent necessities and experiences. We have compiled a list of the best for you on p. 52. And as the city continues to develop across its former limits, no trip to Joburg is complete without exploring its surroundings.

Soweto, Ekurhuleni, Pretoria and Magaliesburg all have enticing attractions, so banish the thought of using Joburg merely as a one-night stop. You’ll also find an essential guide to Maboneng, a flourishing inner-city district that’s burnishing Joburg’s reputation as a hip urban playground, and a manual for travelling to Joburg with teens, plus plenty more worth turning the pages for. Johannesburg in Your Pocket is your passport to being a Joburg insider.

Publisher In Your Pocket City Guides (Pty) Ltd, Postnet Suite #108, Private Bag X7, Parkview 2122, South Africa. For general enquiries, listings updates, events notices and distribution information, mail us at johannesburg@inyourpocket.com.

Editorial Publisher & Editor Laurice Taitz Writer & Editorial Consultant Louise Whitworth Copy-editing & Design Lomin Saayman Researcher Alyssa Vratsanos Contributors Carrie Adams, Heather Mason, Anna Trapido, Lomin Saayman Photography Heather Mason, Farrah-Diba Singh, Mark Straw, Justin Lee and In Your Pocket City Guides Maps © In Your Pocket City Guides

COVER STORY

Print and online advertising Contact laurice.taitz@inyourpocket.com, tel. +27 82 572 3553.

The cover image is titled Frida Kahlo (2014) by Tony Gum, a photographic print with photography by Aubrey Ndiweni (courtesy Christopher Moller Gallery). Gum’s work will be exhibited at the FNB Joburg Art Fair in September, the highlight of Joburg’s art calendar (see p.

34). Gum, born in Gugulethu in Western Cape province, is a young woman artist who has been marked as a ‘bright young thing’ and someone to watch in the booming contemporary Africa art market.

Copyright notice Text and photos copyright In Your Pocket City Guides (Pty) Ltd or as credited. Maps copyright In Your Pocket City Guides (Pty) Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, except as brief extracts for the purpose of review, without written permission from the publisher and copyright owner. The brand name In Your Pocket is used under licence from UAB In Your Pocket.

Print run 10 000 copies, published February, May and September.

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Johannesburg In Your Pocket

We have been busy these past couple of months. Aside from launching a brandnew guide in Milan, Italy, we have also been applying the finishing touches to our new digital platform at inyourpocket.com. Radically redesigned and restructured to place the visitor at the heart of the cities we cover, our new website puts you in total control of our content on whatever desktop, laptop or mobile device you are using. Give it a go: it‘s the biggest digital leap forward we have ever taken and entrenches our position as a game-changing publisher in all formats.

To keep up with all that’s new at In Your Pocket, follow us on Facebook (facebook. com/inyourpocket) or Twitter (twitter. com/inyourpocket). johannesburg.inyourpocket.com

What’s On

RetroFest, Nirox Sculpture Park

FESTIVALS AND FAIRS 19.09 SATURDAY SPEAK THE MIND SESSION 10 This annual poetry and music session is themed ‘Graft, Class, White Privilege and Black Rage’, and is headlined by multi-award-winning US spoken word poet Black Ice, king of the Zulu guitar Madala Kunene, and popular Afro soul band The Muffinz.QBassline, 10 Henry Nxumalo St, Newtown, tel. +27 11 838 9142, bassline.co.za. Tickets R100 at Computicket.

24.09 THURSDAY HERITAGE DAY This public holiday celebrates South Africa’s diverse cultural heritage. Look out for a series of special tours and exhibitions led by local heritage and history experts Johannesburg Heritage Foundation as part of Heritage Weekend (see www.joburgheritage.co.za for the latest info), and a family Heritage Day celebration at the Sophiatown Heritage and Cultural Centre.

24.09 THURSDAY PARKWORDS This one-day literary event takes place at various venues along the main street of the village-like suburb of Parkview.

Enjoy debates, discussions and talks throughout the day with local journalists, authors and media personalities, as well as a special kids’ programme.QTyrone Ave, Parkview, www.parkview.org.za.

24.09 THURSDAY – 03.10 SATURDAY JOBURG SHOPPING FESTIVAL Describing itself as ‘Africa’s signature shopping event’, this festival promises shoppers great bargains and promotions, extended shopping hours and a whopping R1m worth of prizes. Joburg’s major malls – Sandton City, Rosebank Mall, Oriental Plaza and Eastgate Shopping Centre – are all taking part (see Shopping).QVarious locations, www.joburgshoppingfestival.co.za. facebook.com/johannesburginyourpocket

24.09 THURSDAY – 26.09 SATURDAY STANDARD BANK JOY OF JAZZ Three days and four stages – this celebration of all things jazz includes performances by major local and international acts, such as US bass guitarist Marcus Miller and trumpeter Hugh Masekela.QSandton Convention Centre, www.joyofjazz.co.za. Day pass R750.

01.10 THURSDAY – 31.10 SATURDAY ECOMOBILITY FESTIVAL 2015 This ambitious festival will see parts of Sandton’s central business district closed to cars for the duration of October in an effort to promote more sustainable modes of travel such as walking, cycling and public transport. For the latest updates, check the EcoMobility blog.Qwww. ecomobilityfestival.org.

03.10 SATURDAY A BLOOMING AFFAIR The lush gardens of one of Joburg’s oldest and most prestigious private schools will be opened for the day with guided walks, craft stalls and a Champagne and salmon tea garden.

QRoedean School, Princess of Wales Terrace, Parktown, www.abloomingaffair.co.za. Tickets R30.

04.10 SUNDAY VODACOM IN THE CITY This year’s festival moves from the streets of Newtown to the banks of Emmarentia Dam. Brit-pop rockers The Kooks headline alongside German psychedelic folk duo Milky Chance and Australian ska-jazz band The Cat Empire.

QOlifants Rd, Emmarentia, www.inthecityjhb.co.za.

From 10:00–18:00. Tickets R495.

For venue addresses, see p. 12, and for an up-to-theminute events guide to Joburg, go online to iyp.me/70561ch, follow us on Facebook, or sign up for our free weekly What’s On newsletter September 2015 – January 2016

7

Art Joburg JOBURG ART FAIR 11–13.09 The highlight of Joburg’s annual art calendar, FNB Joburg Art Fair attracts up to 10 000 people over one weekend each year. Expect a major art and social event showcasing work from South Africa and across the continent. You’ll find sculpture, painting, photography, prints, multimedia installations and a number of special projects from established and emerging galleries.

This year’s fair, presenting work from more than 30 galleries, includes a bumper lineup of special projects.

Featured artist is Candice Breitz, who is known for her experimental multiscreen video installations using conventions and figures from popular culture. ‘Him + Her’, to be exhibited for the first time in South Africa, puts forward a virtual encounter of an individual with a crowd of his or her other selves, using existing footage from Hollywood films to compose dense psychological vignettes. Breitz, born in South Africa, currently resides in Berlin where she is an academic.

Another special feature is a festival of short art films by the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, sponsored by Goethe-Institut. Oberhausen, founded in 1954, is a key platform for short films worldwide.

Expect a selection of radical works that investigate current political issues shared across local and international contexts.

New on the programme is the Johannesburg Pavilion by the City of Joburg, showcasing work by artists Michael MacGarry, Anthea Moys, Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi, Arya Lalloo and Bettina Malcomess. And something else to look forward to is the African Masters Exhibition, featuring work by the likes of South Africans George Pemba and Dumile Feni, Ethiopian artist Gebre Kirestose and Nigeria’s Benedict Enonwu.

From 8 September preview the fair on artsy.net, the online global resource for discovering and collecting art. Download the app on your smartphone to find visitor information, explore and inquire about artworks, and learn about exhibiting galleries.

And if you miss the fair, do not despair as our Art Joburg feature will point you in all the right directions to find the gallery, art or artist you are looking for and to discover what makes this city ‘Art Joburg’. Also see www.artweek.co.za for information on Artweek Joburg, which takes place from 5–13 September.

QFNB Joburg Art Fair 2015, 11–13 September, Sandton Convention Centre, Maude St, Sandton Central, www.fnbjoburgartfair.co.za. Fri 11:00–20:00, Sat 10:00–18:00, Sun 10:00–17:00. Tickets R100–R130.

34 Johannesburg In Your Pocket

In the Frame: Eme Joburg’s art calendar is one of the city most enlivening aspects, with weekly art openings, two major art fairs, and a number of gallery neighbourhoods, including Braamfontein, Maboneng and Parkwood (see Gallery Row opposite), as well as a district of artists’ studios in Newtown. Twenty years ago, the city emerged from relative apartheid isolation and is now grabbing headlines for its flourishing art scene and rise to prominence of artists, curators and gallerists. In 2014 the Wall Street Journal singled out Joburg as one the world’s four emerging art cities, while more recently prominent arts publisher Phaidon’s Art Cities of the Future selected the city as one of 12 that will shake up the art world in the 21st century.

We asked some prominent art world figures to shed light on Joburg’s rising status as a cultural capital.

‘Joburg is a rare case of a city that was built on a mine. It is not coastal, not situated on a waterway or mountainous, and so people have discovered that when they need relief, inspiration or enlightenment they can turn to art. The city experiences phases of reinvention, bringing about opportunities for artists to contribute to the metamorphosis of public space.’ – Liza Essers, Goodman Gallery ‘One does not necessarily want to say that it is because of the buying power in Johannesburg, but that definitely forms part of the global picture. Think back to when Joburg started as a mining city and the rush it created. That rush is still evident, and artists thrive on it.’ – Monna Mokoena, Gallery MOMO ‘Since the 1950s, Joburg has nurtured and developed johannesburg.inyourpocket.com

Art Joburg GALLERY ROW

erging Art Capital cultural and community-based artist centres and, more recently, Artists Proof Studios in Newtown and the Bag Factory in Fordsburg. The Johannesburg Art Gallery was the first South African institution to collect the work of black artists. The development and rejuvenation of city precincts have also contributed profoundly to its title of “art city”.’ – Ruarc Peffers, Strauss & Co. Art Auctioneers ‘The city has a vibrant energy that encourages individuals to express themselves through the visual and other arts. As the major commercial city of Africa it has numerous galleries, art institutions and patrons. And, of course, it has one of the world’s most famous artists as its permanent resident: William Kentridge.’ – David Krut, David Krut Projects ‘For me its about a new energy, a new movement and a fresh outlook but at the same time not negating the past but systematically and gradually unpacking it – poignantly and with present relevance, and with a concerted, focused understanding of its rich and complex history. This renders Joburg and its artists with an infinite and diverse palette and archive to draw from and manifest the new.’ – M.J. Turpin, Director Kalashnikovv Gallery, kalashnikovv.co.za The images above, apart from the beadwork, are limited-edition dinner plates produced as part of a collaboration between Goodman Gallery artists and NGO Orange Babies South Africa to raise funds for those infected with and affected by HIV/Aids. Leading contemporary artists contributed their work to the project. The cost of a set of 24 plates is R20 000. Photo credits, top row from left: Sam Nhlengethwa, beadwork Wits Art Museum, William Kentridge; bottom row: Mikhael Subotzky, David Goldblatt, Brett Murray. See orangebabies.org.za

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Joburg’s Art Gallery Row can be found along a few blocks of Jan Smuts Avenue, between Wells and Jellicoe Avenues, Parkwood. Start exploring at Circa Gallery and Everard Read (cnr Jellicoe Ave). Inside these landmark buildings you’ll find temporary exhibitions from established and emerging artists, and outside a fascinating collection of sculptures. Further along Jan Smuts Ave (cnr Chester Rd) is the prestigious Goodman Gallery, which promotes many A-list artists such as multimedia wizard William Kentridge and photographer David Goldblatt. A few doors away, see local contemporary fine art at Lizamore & Associates (www. lizamore.co.za), exquisite African crafts and ceramics at Kim Sacks Gallery (www.kimsacksgallery.com), and extraordinary coffee table art books at David Krut Bookstore. Opposite is Chester Court with the quirky Priest Coffee Bar smack dab between Res Gallery, known for its provocative photography, David Krut Projects, Gallery 2 (www.gallery2.co.za) for paintings and prints and graffiti-plastered The Crow’s Nest a barber, tattoo parlour and pop-up gallery. Park Café is a great place to end up for lunch (www.parkcafe.co.za).

A few blocks away is Gallery MOMO for contemporary African art. Addresses on p. 36.

JAG CENTENARY The landmark Joburg Art Gallery turns 100 this year, with celebrations kicking off on 10 November.

Established by Florence Phillips in 1910, the wife of mining magnate Lionel after she sold a blue diamond that he had given her, the building that houses the gallery first opened in November 1915. It was designed by prominent British colonial-era architect Edwin Lutyens to house an impressive foundation collection.

While it cannot claim the title as the first gallery or museum in South Africa, or the first to exhibit work by living artists, it was unique for bringing together contemporary European art in a custom-designed setting, in a colonial urban centre. A recent grant of R42 million has restored JAG to its former glory, and it is definitely worth a visit for its contemporary exhibitions and historical collection.QKing George St (E-3, between Wolmarans and Noord Sts), Joubert Park.

Admission is free and secure parking is available.

See www.johannesburg.inyourpocket.com for event updates.

September 2015 – January 2016

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Art Joburg EXHIBITIONS Joburg has a full art calendar, with exhibitions usually opening on Thursday evenings, and walkabouts taking place on Saturdays. For the latest, see www.johannesburg. inyourpocket.com.

UNTIL 19.09 SATURDAY HISTORY AFTER APARTHEID Haroon Gunn-Salie’s interactive exhibition looks at contemporary South Africa’s transition from pariah apartheid state to a democratic country with a dark past full of heroes and villains. In particular Gunn-Salie’s thoughtprovoking sculptures refer to current debates about the country’s colonial heritage and the memorialisation of iconic anti-apartheid activists.QGoodman Gallery.

UNTIL 20.09 SUNDAY SCRAP, SKETCHES AND SELECTIONS The Museum of African Design hosts temporary exhibitions that include Shaun Gaylard’s series of ‘architectural city guides’ featuring 96 carefully sketched reliefs of a range of iconic buildings. Thabo Pitso’s Scrap for Cash references mass consumer culture and consists of sculptures and installations made from waste materials. From September 13–20 there will also be a special exhibition celebrating 100 years of the iconic Coca-Cola bottle.QMOAD.

GALLERY ADDRESS BOOK CIRCA GALLERY | EVERARD READQCnr Jan Smuts and Jellicoe Aves, Rosebank, tel. +27 11 788 4805, www. circagallery.co.za, www.everard-read.co.za. Open 09:00– 18:00, Sat 09:00–13:00. Closed Sun. DAVID KRUT PROJECTS AND BOOKSTOREQ142 Jan Smuts Ave, Parkwood, tel. +27 11 447 0627, www.davidkrut.com. Open 09:00–17:00, Sat 09:00–16:00. Closed Mon, Sun. GALLERY MOMOQ52 7th Ave, Parktown North, tel. +27 11 327 3247, www.gallerymomo.co.za. Open 09:00– 18:00, Sat 09:00–17:00. Closed Sun. GOODMAN GALLERYQ163 Jan Smuts Ave, Parkwood, tel. +27 11 788 1113, www.goodman-gallery.com, Open 09:30–17:30, Sat 09:30–16:00. Closed Sun, Mon. MUSEUM OF AFRICAN DESIGN (MOAD)QG-4, 281 Commissioner St, Maboneng, City Centre, www.moadjhb.com. Open 11:00–23:00, Wed 11:00–17:00. Closed Mon, Tue. STEVENSON GALLERYQC-3, 62 Juta St, Braamfontein, tel. +27 11 403 1055, www.stevenson.info. Open 09:00– 17:00, Sat 10:00–13:00. Closed Sun. WITS ART MUSEUM (WAM)QB-2, Cnr Bertha and Jorissen Sts, tel. +27 11 717 1365, www.wits.ac.za/wam.

Open 10:00–16:00. Closed Mon, Tue. 36 Johannesburg In Your Pocket

Haroon Gunn-Salie, ‘Soft Vengeance’, Goodman Gallery

UNTIL 11.10 SUNDAY BEADWORK, ART AND THE BODY A celebration of contemporary and traditional South African bead art.QWits Art Museum.

UNTIL 25.10 SUNDAY FAKUGESI LAB DIGIAL ART FESTIVAL The museum is transformed into an open lab for workshops and installations by resident artists Rachel Ryans, Ling Tan, Jepchumba and Nathan Gates.QWits Art Museum.

UNTIL 26.10 MONDAY ALINKA ECHEVERRÍA: 1:1 British-Mexican artist Alinka Echeverría’s powerful photographs taken in Mexico, South Africa and South Sudan, look at the relationships between knowledge, belief, identity and nationality.QJohannesburg Art Gallery.

UNTIL 03.10 SATURDAY LIONEL SMIT: CLOSE | PERSPECTIVE Best known for his monumentally-sized canvas portraits and sculptures of the female form, in his latest multi-disciplinary exhibition Smit seeks to challenge the way we perceive the everyday.QEverard Read Gallery.

OPENINGS 08.09 TUESDAY – 12.10 MONDAY KIMATHI DONKOR Currently artist in residence at Gallery MOMO, Kimathi Donkor is a British artist and community activist best known for his large-scale figurative paintings, which reimagine historic and mythic encounters across Africa and its global diasporas. Often overtly-political and referencing contemporary and historical injustices, Donkor’s work provides an interesting perspective on the post-colonial world.QGallery MOMO. 17.09 THURSDAY – 23.10 FRIDAY ANTON KANNEMEYER No stranger to controversy, Kannemeyer, aka Joe Dog, is best-known for his confrontational comics that explore racial stereotypes, colonialism and white bigotry.QStevenson Gallery. johannesburg.inyourpocket.com