Eclectic enclaves to seek out in South Africa’s cities

Get a feel for life in the Rainbow Nation by exploring the neighbourhoods and vibrant cultural hubs of Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town

View of Maboneng Precinct of Johannesburg city
Take a stroll in the sun: Maboneng Precinct of Johannesburg city is one of South Africa's hippest districts Credit: Shutterstock

From the artsy, enterprising vibe of Johannesburg – Joburg or Jozi to its friends – and that classy creative all-rounder Cape Town to the Indian-influenced seaside city Durban, South Africa’s main cities are beautifully diverse. As with all cities, it takes time and inclination to get a true sense of them, so you won’t want to just whizz around the main sights then head off to discover the country’s wilderness. Linger longer to explore different urban quarters where you can get a sense of the local community through its food, art and stores. 

Johannesburg

Not only is Joburg the country’s biggest city and its economic powerhouse, it’s also one of its most fascinating. Head beyond the high-rises of its Central Business District to discover districts with thriving arts scenes, fantastic food and drink and intriguing spaces.

Leafy Melville and hip Braamfontein are well worth exploring for their buzzy bars, hot restaurants, independent stores and nightlife. As is the artsy cool eastern downtown district Maboneng. Meaning “place of light”, the relatively recently regenerated main drag of Fox Street is where you’ll find most of its one-off cafés, galleries and stores. 

Arts on Main is a buzzy complex of artists’ studios, boutiques and cafés in abandoned office buildings. Have brunch and coffee alongside the city’s bright young things at busy Home of the Bean before you saunter about the creative space. For a bird’s eye view on it all, head to the Living Room – a rooftop bar on the sixth floor of the Main Street Life building and popular sundowner spot. 

Book lovers shouldn’t miss a rifle through The Collectors Treasury on Commissioner Street, the largest second-hand bookstore in the Southern Hemisphere with over a million books crammed in over several floors. Commissioner Street is also where you’ll find the Museum of African Design. Feeling peckish? Little Addis is one of Maboneng’s hot spots, serving simple but delicious Ethiopian food, including epic injera (flatbread).

Ethiopian coffee being poured
Coffee break in style: taste Ethiopian coffee at Arts on Main where you'll find art boutique shops, art studios and unique food Credit: Getty

The sprawling collection of townships known as Soweto (short for the South West Townships) is home to a third of the city’s population. Created in the 1930s as a segregated neighbourhood for black residents, it’s an important place to visit if you’re serious about getting under the skin of the city. 

The best way to visit is on one of Lebo’s Backpacker’s walking, cycling and tuk-tuk tours, learning about Soweto’s past and present from local guides. You’ll pass artistic murals and visit key sights like Mandela House Museum on Vilakazi Street, where both Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu lived, and the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum. They’ll also take you to eat local food and to shebeens (unofficial bars) for a drink as you listen to music and hear more stories of the townships.

Cape Town

Over in Cape Town, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to cool and interesting enclaves. Nowhere is quite so wonderful for a single-origin coffee-fuelled wander than Woodstock. Now a vibrant hub of artisan coffee shops, artists’ studios, boutique brewers and eclectic dining, it’s actually one of the city’s oldest suburbs. It went from a 19th-century seaside resort to down-at-heel industrial area, evidenced by the handsome Victorian-era houses and tree-lined streets that nudge old warehouses and factories. 

And, as with any area that’s undergone regeneration, its disused industrial spaces have been transformed into creative hubs. You’ll see street art aplenty. Take an artist-led tour to get some background on both the art and the suburb’s fascinating history, or simply saunter the streets to admire the many large, colourful and thought-provoking murals.

Go on a Saturday or Sunday, if you can, when the Neighbourgoods Market at the redeveloped Old Biscuit Mill is in full swing. Pulsating with people and live music, be sure to arrive hungry, because you’ll want to try plenty at the food stalls – among them are vendors selling Cape Malay curries, ostrich burgers and freshly shucked oysters from Saldanha Bay with a glass of South African fizz.

The Old Biscuit Mill in the sunshine
A vibrant hub: the Old Biscuit Mill sits in the heart of the Woodstock district of Cape Town Credit: Alamy

The old factory is permanently home to local designers and artists, vibey restaurants, as well as cafés and bars, including The Pot Luck Club, from one of Cape Town’s star chefs Luke Dale Roberts. 

Another regenerated space turned art and design hub is the Woodstock Exchange. After all that browsing, end with a cold beer at Woodstock Grill & Tap on Albert Road; it makes 10 different brews to choose from.

Bo-Kaap is another of the city’s historic and eclectic neighbourhoods. Admire its mix of cheerful Cape Dutch and Cape Georgian houses and learn about the neighbourhood’s Cape Malay heritage at its museum, mosque (the Auwal Mosque is the oldest in the country) and through the food. This colourful district has some of the best street food in town along with restaurants serving spicy, aromatic Cape Malay cuisine, characterised by its Dutch, Malay and Middle Eastern influences. Don’t miss the salomie (a Cape Malay roti wrapped curry), milk tarts and koesisters (a Cape Malay doughnut).

yellow, pink, green and orange painted houses in a row
Full of colour: Dutch, Malay and Middle Eastern influences abound in the colourful district of Bo-Kaap Credit: Getty

Durban

If it’s food you’re after, Durban, the biggest city in KwaZulu-Natal province, is the place to be. South Africa’s premier surf city doesn’t just have dreamy subtropical shores but a delicious dining scene that reflects its melting pot of Indian, European, Zulu and other African cultures. 

Nowhere is this better reflected than in its signature dish, the bunny chow. The curiously named local snack consists of a loaf of bread hollowed out and stuffed with curry. It’s messy, spicy but totally worth it. Local word has it that CaneCutters, a typical Durban-style curry restaurant in the suburb Glenwood, is the best place to try it. As well as the traditional mutton and vegetarian fillings, it has alternatives like a prawn curry or tripe-filled “bunnie”.

a halved loaf of bread filled with curry
Chow down: the messy and spicy Bunny Chow is the signature dish of Durban Credit: Shutterstock

Where spice and a steamy climate go, beer follows and happily Durban has its own craft brewery. Head to Station 43 for a bottle of That Blonde Ale, one of a few local drops made by That Brewing Co. While you’re at it, tuck into the lively bar’s tapas-style dishes, burgers or the butter chicken bunny and listen to live music. It’s part of Station Drive Precinct, a reborn industrial part of the Morningside suburb, with a clutch trendy shops, cafés and bars. You’ll also find the province’s first craft distillery here, Distillery 031. One of its products is D’Urban Scarlet Gin, made with cascara (coffee cherries) sourced from the KwaZulu-Natal coast.

For more tasty and distinctly Durban bites, head to the drool-worthy Legacy Yard food hall in upmarket seaside resort Umhlanga, just to the north of the city.

Book your adventure at audleytravel.com/south-africa

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