Johannesburg

Johannesburg has the highest population in all of South Africa. 3 million live in the actual city, and a further 5 million in the suburbs. Jo'burg, as it's known by the locals, is the economic and financial heart of the country but isn't one of South Africa's three official capitals.

Like so many cities around the world, Jo'burg developed due to the discovery of gold. The subsequent gold rush in the 1880s saw European settlements spring up and tensions between the controlling Afrikaners and the British immigrants boil over into the Second Anglo-Boer war, eventually won by the immigrants.

The enormous gold reserves needed structured, well organised mines. The South African government introduced a strict racial system in which non-whites were unfairly taxed and prevented from getting skilled jobs. The only option was to work in the gold mines. The government then decreed that all residents of non-European origin had to leave the centre to live in the specially set up areas. The best-known of these is the South Western Townships. Take the first two letters of each word and you have . . . Soweto. So the infamous Apartheid system was born and it wasn't until 1990 that, largely thanks to a man whose home was in Soweto, the system was finally abolished. That man's name? Nelson Mandela, of course.

As a tourist in this city you have to visit Soweto. You can see Nelson Mandela's first home, now a museum, and visit the apartheid museum too. It will make it very clear why such a system must never happen again, anywhere.

So, what else can I tell you about this city? If you want to get around, the bus system is pretty decent. An open-top bus tour of the city is always a good way to get your bearings. There is a metro railway but it's a little limited. There are two types of taxi. The metered taxi, strangely enough, has to be booked in advance. You can't just wander around looking for one like in most other cities. Instead, most people use the minibus taxi. Now, a word of warning. These taxis are the ones most used by the locals because they are cheap and fast. However, the vehicles themselves are very often barely roadworthy and the driving standards sometimes leave a lot to be desired. You'll also find that they are nearly always overloaded with passengers. Why is this so? Well, although Johannesburg is the financial hub of the country, the gap between rich and poor is immense so a huge part of the population can't afford to buy or run a car. This rich - poor divide can also go some way to explaining the high crime rate in the city. The government has done much to try and reduce this but it's still advisable to take care when moving around. A good dose of common sense should be enough to avoid any problems.

If you're here on a Sunday you won't fail to notice the thousands and thousands of runners who gather to take part in informal races through the tree-lined streets and parks. Did I mention the trees? There are as many as 6 million of them in the city, specially planted to provide a lot of green in an otherwise dirt-brown landscape. The other sporting passions are football, rugby and cricket. One of the top football teams from here is the Kaizer Chiefs, who also lend their name to a successful English pop band. The locals are greatly looking forward to seeing Italy come to defend their World Champions title when the FIFA World Cup is played here in 2010. Rugby and cricket are extremely popular and the South African national sides always provide strong competition, especially when playing in front of a home crowd.

So, even if this is not considered a tourist city as such, it's still well worth a visit to understand the history which makes South Africa what it is today and to take in the sights and sounds. Buy beachwear and electrical gadgets from the comfort of your own car. Take a haircut in a barber's shop big enough for one customer. Visit the numerous street markets selling locally made arts and crafts. But above all, take care and enjoy yourself.