Braamfontein
Braamfontein is a central suburb of Johannesburg, in South Africa, seat of the Constitutional Court of South Africa and some of South Africa's major corporations.
Situated due north of the city centre, Braamfontein is the fourth-largest office node in the city of Johannesburg containing many multi-storied buildings representing various architectural styles including Art Deco and Brutalist. Numerous office buildings have been and are in the process of being converted to residential apartments. The offices of the Johannesburg City Council and the University of the Witwatersrand are situated in Braamfontein. The Nelson Mandela Bridge is a landmark that connects Braamfontein to the city centre, traversing South Africa's most extensive passenger train marshalling yard. Jan Smuts Avenue and Empire Road are two major road thoroughfares that run through the suburb.
Getting around Braamfontein the local way
- Get in}} The airport is mainly for smaller charter, cargo and classic airline flights; it is in fact busier than Johannesburg International and sees more air traffic.
- Get aroundGenerally, it is a bad idea to make use of minibus taxis unless accompanied by locals.
- Get aroundTraffic can be aggressive, and minibus taxis in particular often defy the rules of the road.
- Get aroundPublic transport in Johannesburg is provided by city buses and informal minibus services.
- Get aroundForeigners are advised to use only normal sedan taxis (metered or fixed-price taxes that transport only you and your travel partners), as minibus taxis have a reputation for being rather unsafe.
- Get aroundThe minibus taxis, however, are very cheap and are the quickest way between two points.
From Wikivoyage: Johannesburg, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Hans Hillewaert (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.