MyJHB

Stuff from Johannesburg

Super Rugby: Crusaders not letting missed opportunity take gloss off 2021

Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa in the news:

  1. Super Rugby: Crusaders not letting missed opportunity take gloss off 2021: Scott Robertson is peeved the Crusaders aren’t in the trans-Tasman final, but isn’t about to let the lost opportunity detract from another title-winning year. – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  2. SA expels envoys over booze scandal: South Africa yesterday ordered several diplomats to leave South Africa within 72 hours for flouting their diplomatic privileges.This follows an intensive investigation that found them guilty of … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  3. Nigerians in South Africa, Consulate at loggerheads over exorbitant passport charges: The tense relationship between Nigerians in South Africa and the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg appeared to have worsened with the imposition of R2,000 (over N60,000) charge on citizens applying … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  5. The ballot box: A political preview of the 2021 local government elections: With political party self-immolation, service delivery setbacks and protests, the outcome of the 2021 local government elections is uncertain. Here are our predictions: … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews

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Have you tried: Whale and Dolphin Watching in Algoa Bay?

Did you know this about Johannesburg? City Deep is the world’s largest dry port: Johannesburg the world’s largest city that isn’t located near a coastline or navigable river. City Deep was developed 1977 by South African Railways to accommodate 50% of the city’s cargo (which comes from ports in Cape Town and Durban).

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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.