Book flights to Johannesburg – but you can call it Jo’burg, if you’d like. The city is informal like that, and welcomes you with open arms into its history, culture, and people. Once a centre for harrowing gun crime and poverty, now when you book flights to Johannesburg, you’ll see that it has become a globally conscious hub – the city now uses the lessons learned as common ground to unify its citizens. Before your flight to Johannesburg, be sure to educate yourself on its recent history, which is rife with inequality.
The largest city in South Africa, Johannesburg drew thousands of newcomers during the 1890s gold rush. When white people came seeking shiny fortunes, they employed the black residents to work for them. As their success mounted, the British colonial government relocated the black natives to the outskirts of the city, widening the gap of racial separation, and conceiving an era known as Apartheid. During the brutal period, blacks endured low living conditions, and rose only in protest, strikes, and to voice the ideas of the black majority. In 1920, 70,000 blacks went on strike, and although the next few years of riots made successful noise, many people sadly died in the fight. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the uprisings of black militancy finally made a crack in the ceiling of separation, and the removal of discriminatory laws took place.
Although there are still racist undertones in certain parts of the city, Johannesburg proudly presents itself to the world as a city redone. Book flights to Johannesburg to witness the dawn of a historical transition, and the opening of hearts to equality.