Jozi is ‘coolest city south of equator’

Joburg is - at the moment - the best place to visit, according to GQ magazine.

Johannesburg - Jozi is the coolest city in the southern hemisphere.

This is the opinion of top UK magazine GQ,which has a monthly readership of 1.2 million. It said that although there are many “cool cities” south of the equator “ripe for one’s travel considerations”, Joburg is - at the moment - the best place to visit.

This is just one of a string of accolades the city received recently.

GQ fashion editor Nick Carvell said that Joburg might not boast white sands and pristine beaches, but it can hold its head high as it has “a clever way” of making up for a loss of nature’s endowments.

“Though South Africa’s first city lacks in beaches, it more than makes up with a seriously buzzing urban landscape packed with superb bars, inventive restaurants, cool hotels and one of the world’s most exciting theatre, art and music scenes - not to mention safari just outside if you want to spend some time with the country’s most recognisable furry residents.”

GQ’s write-up comes hot on the heels of Joburg winning the prestigious C40 Cities Award for tackling climate change through its successful green bond initiative, during the COP21 summit in Paris, France, in December.

Last year, the Global Financial Centres index ranked Joburg the number one city in Africa and 33rd most economically powerful metropolis in the world.

Joburg’s Maboneng Precinct was named one of the world’s coolest New Tourist Attractions last year by Travelandleisure.com, while the city walked away with the Rough Guide’s No. 1 position as the top city to visit last year.

Member of the mayoral committee for economic development, Ruby Mathang, said: “One aspect that never gets mentioned is our human element in the city. Every resident of Joburg must know that they are the city’s tourism ambassadors. Not only has tourism created job opportunities in the city and nationally, but it has also surpassed mining as the key generator of revenue for the fiscus.”

@annacox

The Star