"JOHANNESBURG is in the midst of exciting times. We are a melting pot of diverse cultures, talents and features. Not only do we need to look to our bold history to entrench the City's uniqueness, but also to our current developments." Deon Viljoen, CEO of the Johannesburg Tourism Company. His quote captures the essence of Johannesburg and its unique fusion of elements that make up the city's ethos.

Johannesburg is a cauldron of theatres, museums, clubs, eclectic shops, large green areas, wildlife and a unique blend of entertainment and excursions that include apartheid-crafted townships that offer heart and soul and most importantly 'hope'. A vibrant energy and unique attitude being the final additive to this fierce cocktail that is emerging as one of South Africa's hottest spots.

Bold History
Johannesburg's history is kept alive in the many vibrant and heart wrenching museums in and around Josi, the Apartheid Museum being one of the latest additions to this list. Funded as part of a casino's bid a few years ago, the Apartheid Museum captures the energy and intense lifestyle endured by so many during the apartheid years. It is described by Lucille Davie (Johannesburg News Agency) as, "an extraordinary powerful museum .... With its large blow-up photographs, metal cages and numerous monitors recording continuous replays of apartheid scenes set in a double volume ceiling, concrete and red brick walls and grey concrete floor ..."

One of the most chilling accounts of our history can be experienced first hand during a township tour into Alexandra or Soweto. Whilst township tours are a mix of people, fun and the meaning of life, the subject and atrocities of the past are bound to surface - heart wrenching stories that describe accounts of those years that are still fresh in so many peoples lives; stories that can bring both tears of sorrow and joy.

Unique City
Is it not ironic that the venue of the photographic exhibition 'Celebrating Johannesburg' is being held in a bank? Does this not epitomize the city's uniqueness and contradictory elements? Lucille Davie described the venue (ABSA Towers North) as " ..the perfect setting for the six-storey tall tuft carpet banners by Norman Catherine, woven by rural men. There's five of them and you'll find it hard to pull your eyes away from them they soar into space, with 42 distinctive, square, colorful faces on each banner".

Whilst there is a small art gallery in the building, the ABSA Gallery actually encompasses most of the original art in the building. Cecile Loedolff (manager of art and functions) is tasked with managing this impressive collection of 20 000 works valued at around R70 million. Each year art is acquired by Loedolff who is advised by a panel and external art advisor from Unisa. According to Lucille Davie, Loedolff believes that ABSA has the largest corporate art collection in the world, all original and all South African, dating back to 1900.

Melting pot of Culture
Olav Andre Manum, a Norwegian journalist in South Africa, described Johannesburg in an account written by Philppa Garson (Johannesburg News Agency). "Once you start exploring you realise that Johannesburg emerges as a vibrant, culturally rich and diverse city with a most fascinating history. You have black, white, Indian, Muslim, Jewish ... this is something I'm really not used to".

Cultural diversity is a subject that you could immerse yourself in and experience via conducted tours or self-made tours that would include heritage trails, museums and cultural visits. Whilst theatre is a stage that often includes stories of Josi's diverse cultures, one can experience a different everyday theatre that unfolds on the city's streets, whether at the markets or simply whilst sightseeing in the city.

Current Developments
Current developments range from stocking four of Johannesburg's nature reserves with game to giving the Botanical Gardens a facelift and revamping the Old Fort and Prison to become the new constitutional court. Bold and purposeful, these actions are only some of the new developments that will add to the excitement gaining momentum in the city. And whilst referring to Johannesburg as a city you may be surprised to find continuous reference to nature reserves and 80 hectares of botanical gardens. Johannesburg has vast green areas and space for one to be in nature - unique, very unique