How world sees SA: Johannesburg beats Cape Town for lifestyle – FT

EDINBURGH — Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city, has captured the attention of the international media, as it sheds its image as the ugly sister to Cape Town. Joburg, or Jozi as some call it fondly, is being refreshed and growing in stature on the African continent, the Financial Times tells its readers. Mayor Herman Mashaba recently welcomed an additional R2bn in funding from the Divercity Urban Property Fund for urban renewal to create thriving mixed-use precincts. This is on top of ongoing investments by other property developers. The fact that the news about Jozi is spreading is good news to high-end property owners who have been struggling to sell in challenging conditions. With positive sentiment flowing towards the City of Gold, residential real estate buyers are likely to follow. – Jackie Cameron.By Thulasizwe Sithole.Johannesburg is in the global media spotlight, for a change outshining its southern sister, Cape Town. .___STEADY_PAYWALL___."The largest city in South Africa has long been overshadowed by the internationally better-known Cape Town, and dogged by a reputation for crime. But Johannesburg — or Jozi, as locals call it — is a growing and increasingly important financial centre with a standard of living to match," reports the London-based Financial Times..It highlights that Johannesburg is Africa's second most important financial centre after Casablanca in Morocco, according to the 2018 Global Financial Centres Index, and the biggest south of the Sahara. "And it is growing: the city attracted $13.2bn of foreign investment between 2003 and 2016, double that of Cape Town.".The FT compares the average salary in Jozi's financial services sector is $87,000 with the $109,000 you can expect to earn in London. "But those South African salaries go further: consumer prices in Johannesburg are almost half those in London, according to statistics provider Numbeo, while the cost of renting accommodation is more than a third cheaper than in Cape Town," it points out..Johannesburg's image as a crime-ridden, dirty, overcrowded city has been given an overhaul, with "Jozi…making a name for itself as a cultural hub, so much so that it was named the number one city in the world to visit by Rough Guides in 2015.".Residents can enjoy its attractions all year round, including the Apartheid Museum, Origins Centre, which explores the history of modern humankind, and the Standard Bank Gallery, which exhibits local artists as well as hosting international shows, the FT tells its readers.."Gauteng, the province in which the city is located, had the highest rate of crimes against the person of all provinces in South Africa in 2017-18. But while parts of the city are blighted by poverty and crime, years of ongoing urban renewal have transformed the city centre. This is typified by the central suburb of Braamfontein, which has become known for its live music scene. The Orbit, Johannesburg's most famous jazz venue, is located here," continues the FT.."For those looking to escape the city, Africa's wildlife is not far away. At 7,500 square miles, Kruger National Park is one of the continent's largest game reserves. It is a four to five-hour drive from Johannesburg, but plenty of flights operate daily from Johannesburg's airport to Nelspruit on the park's southwestern tip," adds the FT.

How world sees SA: Johannesburg beats Cape Town for lifestyle – FT

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