Sandton Johannesburg: Shopping, Finance & the City's Wealthy North

Sandton is the economic capital of Africa — a statement that sounds hyperbolic until you understand that this northern Johannesburg suburb contains more corporate headquarters, banking institutions, and international financial operations than any other city on the continent. The Sandton CBD, centred on Sandton City shopping complex and Nelson Mandela Square, is where Johannesburg's wealth concentrates most visibly: the Gautrain station connecting to the airport, the luxury hotels (Four Seasons, The Michelangelo, Sandton Sun), and a restaurant scene that serves expense-account corporate dining alongside some of the best food in the city.

Nelson Mandela Square is the social centrepiece — a large open plaza with restaurants and cafes around a 6-metre bronze statue of Mandela that was installed in 2004, ten years after the first democratic election. The adjacent Sandton City mall, linked to Michelangelo Towers, is the largest shopping mall in Africa: it contains Harrods concessions, every major South African and international retail brand, and a food court that would embarrass many dedicated restaurants. Johannesburg shoppers treat it as a destination rather than a convenience.

For restaurants beyond the mall: The Wanderers Club on Illovo Road is an old Johannesburg institution. The cluster of restaurants on Katherine Street and in the Melrose Arch development (a short Uber ride away) include some of the city's better contemporary dining options — Marble for wood-fired steaks, Nobu for Japanese, and a good range of more casual spots with outside seating. The Joburg Theatre in Braamfontein is a 30-minute Uber away and hosts international and local productions.