MyJHB

Stuff from Johannesburg

Nkanunu, the ‘Mandela’ of South African rugby, dies aged 87 | MyJHB.co.za

Johannesburg in the news:

  1. Nkanunu, the ‘Mandela’ of South African rugby, dies aged 87: Nkanunu led SA Rugby for five years from 1998, resigning after the Springboks made a quarter-finals exit from the 2003 Rugby World Cup. – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  2. Binder’s success stands out even in MotoGP’s crazy year: Brad Binder went into his rookie MotoGP season expecting to crash and learn from his mistakes, possibly with some pain involved. – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  3. South Africa deports African migrants after protests: South African authorities say they have begun deporting 20 refugees and asylum seekers who were part of a months-long sit-in protest against xenophobia. They are mostly from African countries and were … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  4. Richemont first-half profits tumble: JOHANNESBURG – Luxury goods group, Richemont saw first-half profits tumble as the COVID-19 pandemic gloom spread across Europe. However, the firm which was founded by Johann Rupert saw booming sales … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  5. Robbers using Porsche as getaway car blow up a money van in broad daylight in Johannesburg: A gang of robbers have shown that crime does indeed seem to pay in South Africa, after carrying out a highly-organised cash heist using luxury cars as getaway vehicles. – “Johannesburg” – BingNews

Click here to submit your Johannesburg, Gauteng News – free.

Have you tried: Travelling to South Africa?

Did you know this about Johannesburg? The Carlon Centre (located in the city’s CBD) is the tallest office building in Africa: The building was completed in 1973. It has 50 floors and is 224 metres tall. It’s not the tallest structure in Johannesburg though. The Hillbrow Tower (also located in the CBD) stands 269m tall.

Category: Tag: , , , , , , ,

The World’s Largest Man-Made Urban Forest

One of the most surprising facts about Johannesburg is its status as a “green” city. When the first settlers arrived, the Highveld was a barren, treeless grassland (savannah). To support the mining industry, millions of trees were imported and planted to provide timber for mine underground supports. Fast forward to the present day, and Johannesburg is widely considered the largest man-made urban forest in the world.

There are an estimated 10 million trees within the city limits. This includes 1.2 million trees on sidewalks and in parks, and over 4.8 million in private gardens. This forest is so dense that satellite images of the northern suburbs often resemble a tropical rainforest. The most iconic of these trees is the Jacaranda, which was imported from South America in the early 20th century. Every October and November, the city turns a vibrant shade of purple as thousands of Jacarandas bloom simultaneously. However, this “forest” also highlights the city’s historical inequality; during the Apartheid era, trees were predominantly planted in wealthy white suburbs, leaving townships like Soweto as dusty plains. In the last two decades, “Greening Soweto” initiatives have seen hundreds of thousands of trees planted to bridge this “green divide,” emphasizing the role of urban forestry in social justice and climate cooling.