Most Highveld stoeps get harsh afternoon sun and cold winter nights, so plant choice matters. Aloes, spekboom and wild garlic cope well with both, and they need very little water once settled.
Group pots by how much sun they get. Put the thirsty ones close to the tap and keep the dry-loving ones at the far end. A shallow dish of water in the corner will also bring in birds and bees.
ACCESSORIES
Johannesburg's inner city has some of the best Art Deco buildings in the country. Walk from Braamfontein towards the city centre and look up, because the detail is above street level. Many of these buildings are being restored as flats and studios. Go early on a Saturday morning, when the streets are quiet and the light is good for photographs.
Braamfontein has become the place to start a coffee crawl. Small roasters sit between the university buildings, and most open early for students and office workers. Order a flat white, find a seat by the window and watch the street. Many of the cafés also sell beans from local roasters, so you can take the same cup home. Prices are fair, and the staff will tell you what is new.
Read next: Where to find great coffee in Braamfontein
Braamfontein has become the place to start a coffee crawl. Small roasters sit between the university buildings, and most open early for students and office workers. Order a flat white, find a seat by the window and watch the street. Many of the cafés also sell beans from local roasters, so you can take the same cup home. Prices are fair, and the staff will tell you what is new.
Read next: Where to find great coffee in Braamfontein
Braamfontein has become the place to start a coffee crawl. Small roasters sit between the university buildings, and most open early for students and office workers. Order a flat white, find a seat by the window and watch the street. Many of the cafés also sell beans from local roasters, so you can take the same cup home. Prices are fair, and the staff will tell you what is new.
Read next: Where to find great coffee in Braamfontein
Braamfontein has become the place to start a coffee crawl. Small roasters sit between the university buildings, and most open early for students and office workers. Order a flat white, find a seat by the window and watch the street. Many of the cafés also sell beans from local roasters, so you can take the same cup home. Prices are fair, and the staff will tell you what is new.
Read next: Where to find great coffee in Braamfontein
LIGHTING
Johannesburg's inner city has some of the best Art Deco buildings in the country. Walk from Braamfontein towards the city centre and look up, because the detail is above street level. Many of these buildings are being restored as flats and studios. Go early on a Saturday morning, when the streets are quiet and the light is good for photographs.
Street art
Maboneng and Braamfontein both have murals on almost every second corner. Start at the top of Juta Street and walk south, stopping at the large wall pieces near the bridge. Local artists change the work often, so no two visits look the same. Wear flat shoes, carry a little water and keep your phone close for photographs. Guided walks run on weekends and are worth the small fee.
Bookshop visits
Maboneng and Braamfontein both have murals on almost every second corner. Start at the top of Juta Street and walk south, stopping at the large wall pieces near the bridge. Local artists change the work often, so no two visits look the same. Wear flat shoes, carry a little water and keep your phone close for photographs. Guided walks run on weekends and are worth the small fee.
Weekend trips
Maboneng and Braamfontein both have murals on almost every second corner. Start at the top of Juta Street and walk south, stopping at the large wall pieces near the bridge. Local artists change the work often, so no two visits look the same. Wear flat shoes, carry a little water and keep your phone close for photographs. Guided walks run on weekends and are worth the small fee.
Local makers
Maboneng and Braamfontein both have murals on almost every second corner. Start at the top of Juta Street and walk south, stopping at the large wall pieces near the bridge. Local artists change the work often, so no two visits look the same. Wear flat shoes, carry a little water and keep your phone close for photographs. Guided walks run on weekends and are worth the small fee.
Johannesburg's inner city has some of the best Art Deco buildings in the country. Walk from Braamfontein towards the city centre and look up, because the detail is above street level. Many of these buildings are being restored as flats and studios. Go early on a Saturday morning, when the streets are quiet and the light is good for photographs.
FURNITURE
Many of Johannesburg’s best-loved places are small. A bookshop with a single room, a bakery with a queue on Saturdays, a studio tucked behind a gate. We try to visit each one before we write about it, so you know what to expect when you arrive. Take your time, talk to the owners and buy something from the shelf.
A short drive out of the city can change your whole weekend. Within three hours of Johannesburg you will find Magaliesburg, Clarens, Dullstroom and the Cradle of Humankind. Book a guesthouse early, leave before the Friday traffic builds and carry cash for farm stalls along the way. Pack a jersey, because the evenings get cold even in summer. Most places welcome families and some allow dogs.
Many of Johannesburg’s best-loved places are small. A bookshop with a single room, a bakery with a queue on Saturdays, a studio tucked behind a gate. We try to visit each one before we write about it, so you know what to expect when you arrive. Take your time, talk to the owners and buy something from the shelf.
A short drive out of the city can change your whole weekend. Within three hours of Johannesburg you will find Magaliesburg, Clarens, Dullstroom and the Cradle of Humankind. Book a guesthouse early, leave before the Friday traffic builds and carry cash for farm stalls along the way. Pack a jersey, because the evenings get cold even in summer. Most places welcome families and some allow dogs.
Many of Johannesburg’s best-loved places are small. A bookshop with a single room, a bakery with a queue on Saturdays, a studio tucked behind a gate. We try to visit each one before we write about it, so you know what to expect when you arrive. Take your time, talk to the owners and buy something from the shelf.
A short drive out of the city can change your whole weekend. Within three hours of Johannesburg you will find Magaliesburg, Clarens, Dullstroom and the Cradle of Humankind. Book a guesthouse early, leave before the Friday traffic builds and carry cash for farm stalls along the way. Pack a jersey, because the evenings get cold even in summer. Most places welcome families and some allow dogs.
