Randburg

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Randburg
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Beverley Gardens, Randburg
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Randburg
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Randburg
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Randburg
Coordinates: 26°5′37″S28°0′23″E / 26.09361°S 28.00639°E / -26.09361; 28.00639
Country South Africa
Province Gauteng
Municipality City of Johannesburg
Area
[1]
  Total167.98 km2 (64.86 sq mi)
Population
 (2011) [1]
  Total337,053
  Density2,000/km2 (5,200/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
[1]
   Black African 36.8%
   Coloured 11.6%
   Indian/Asian 7.5%
   White 45.7%
  Other1.5%
First languages (2011)
[1]
   English 52.0%
   Afrikaans 17.6%
   Zulu 6.6%
   Tswana 4.1%
  Other19.6%
Time zone UTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
2194
PO box
2125
Area code 011

Randburg is an area located in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Formerly a separate municipality, its administration devolved to the newly created City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, along with neighbouring Sandton and Roodepoort, in the late 1990s. During the transitional period of 1996–2000, Randburg was part of the Northern Metropolitan Local Council (MLC). [2]

Contents

History

Early History of Randburg

The earliest known inhabitants of the area now called Randburg were indigenous tribes who roamed the open veld. Evidence of their Iron Age craftsmanship, including tools and pottery, can still be found on some of the local koppies (small hills). However, much about their culture and history remains undocumented and largely unknown.

The Boer Settlements

Randburg's recorded history begins in the mid-19th century when Boer pioneers settled four farms in the area: Klipfontein, Driefontein, Olievenhoutspoort, and Boskop. These farms were later subdivided among the sons of the original farmers, following the tradition of the time. Driefontein, one of the largest farms, originally stretched from the northern boundary of Bryanston to present-day Braamfontein, eventually being divided into nine plots.

One of the plots was purchased by Charles Rocher, a Frenchman from Bordeaux, [3] who named his section after his hometown. Rocher was an early pioneer of Cape deciduous fruit farming in the Transvaal, and remnants of his orchards can still be found on some of the older plots in the area. Another portion of the Boskop farm was bought by Dale Lace, a well-known Rand entrepreneur, who converted a farmhouse into a country residence. This home, restored by Tom Kelly in 1929 and renamed "Hy-Many," is currently under consideration for designation as a National Monument.

Hy-Many Hy Many House.jpg
Hy-Many

Randburg and the Gold Rush

The discovery of gold in the region brought significant attention to Randburg. Wealthy English investors, such as Abe Bailey, saw the area as a prime opportunity for investment. Streets like Carlton Road, Church Street, and Pritchard Street were established in what was once open veld. The abundance of wildlife, particularly antelopes and birds, also made Randburg a popular hunting destination during this period. The name "Hunters Hill" is a reminder of these times when game was plentiful in the area.

The Great Depression and Development

The Great Depression of 1928-1934 and a severe drought that lasted four years led to a significant influx of platteland (rural) farmers into Randburg. [4] Many of these new settlers preferred the rural environment and chose to build their homes in the area, often without any state assistance. Life in Randburg was simple and self-sufficient, with an abundance of food available locally.

By 1950, Randburg's population had grown to fewer than 9,000 inhabitants. However, rapid development followed, and by 1960, the population had expanded, new townships were established, and the local newspaper "Noord-Nuus" began publication. As businesses flourished, the question of municipal status arose—whether Randburg should remain independent or be incorporated into Johannesburg. In 1959, following a public competition, the name "Randburg" was chosen, and the area was inaugurated as a municipality. [5]

Autonomy and the Establishment of Randburg

The establishment of Randburg as an independent town was driven by a self-appointed committee led by Robert van Tonder, a dynamic leader and District Secretary of the National Party. In 1956, van Tonder founded the Dorpsraadaksiekomitee with the aim of creating a town with an Afrikaans character, distinct from the predominantly English Johannesburg, which he viewed as politically left-leaning. The committee's petition for independence was supported by the Lorentz Commission, which, after considering the evidence, recommended the establishment of Randburg as a separate town. Randburg officially came into being on July 1, 1959. [6]

Early photo of Randburg Early photo of Randburg.jpg
Early photo of Randburg

The Path to Autonomy

During the process of establishing Randburg's autonomy, local elections were held in the North-Western Johannesburg Local Area Committee (LAC). The enthusiasm for independence was high in Randburg, contrasting with the apathy in other areas of Northern and North-Eastern Johannesburg. The success of Randburg's residents in securing independence inspired other areas north of Johannesburg to push for greater autonomy.

Conflict with the Provincial Authorities

In the 1950s, tensions arose between the Provincial Administration and the Peri-Urban Areas Health Board (PUAHB), which had jurisdiction over Randburg. The Board, responsible for providing services and maintaining sanitary conditions, was reluctant to relinquish control over Randburg, fearing that it would become a financially insecure and poorly managed town. Despite the Board's opposition, the Province supported the move towards local autonomy, leading to Randburg's eventual independence. [7]

The Lorentz Commission's findings and the Province's determination to promote autonomy marked a turning point in the development of Randburg, paving the way for its growth into a thriving, self-governing municipality. [8] By 1972, the Randburg Town Council had established guidelines for the development of residential areas, the central business district (CBD), and industrial zones, setting the stage for the area's future growth and prosperity. [9]

Although economically linked to Johannesburg, residents chose to create their own town council. The name Randburg was chosen in a competition, and is derived from the South African Rand currency, which was introduced at around the same time that the new municipality was established in 1959. [10] Like other affluent northern suburbs of Johannesburg, the area was regarded as relatively liberal and elected Democratic Party members of parliament.[ citation needed ] As Apartheid ended, it became more supportive of F. W. de Klerk's reform-minded National Party. [11] [12] [13] In 1962, it became a municipality. [6] :292

The resident demographic of Randburg tends to be more affluent than most of Johannesburg. The area was declared as a white area during the Apartheid era, but post-apartheid has attracted a varied population. In 2001, it was still predominantly occupied by white English and Afrikaans suburbanites. [14]

Geography

Randburg is located 18 km north-west of Johannesburg's Central Business District (CBD) on the northwestern rural-urban fringe of the Greater Johannesburg metropolis and is flanked by Johannesburg to the south, Sandton to the east, Roodepoort to the west and the rural areas of Chartwell and Farmall to the north.

Climate

The area experiences a subtropical highland climate or temperate oceanic climate with distinct seasonal variations, characterized by dry winters and warm summers.

Climate Characteristics:

Temperature:

The coldest month has an average temperature above 0 °C (32 °F).Throughout the year, all months have average temperatures below 22 °C (71.6 °F). At least four months in the year have average temperatures above 10 °C (50 °F).

Precipitation:

The region experiences a marked contrast between wet and dry seasons. The wettest month of summer typically receives at least ten times the rainfall of the driest month of winter. Alternatively, over 70% of the average annual precipitation occurs during the warmest six months of the year.

Minerals:

The region is noted for the presence of various minerals, including: [15]

Suburbs

The municipal area of Randburg contains numerous suburbs; many of these are residential. The following is a list of all suburbs that fall under the municipal area of Randburg:

[16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]

Economy

Multichoice and its associated companies, M-Net and SuperSport (South African broadcaster), have their head offices in Randburg.

The central business district of Randburg had fallen into decay starting in the 1990s, [25] and plans were made to revive the CBD by the Johannesburg municipality. [26]

Strijdom Park is a well developed commercial/light industrial area in Randburg, wedged between the N1 Western Bypass and Malibongwe Drive. Strijdom park has a substantial auto sales and repair industry and has several other small industries that service the whole of northern Johannesburg.

Randburg has faced competition from Sandton which is normally the preferred location for businesses but offers lower rentals and property prices whilst providing easy transportation to the west and central Johannesburg. There are future plans to connect Randburg onto the Gautrain routes. Cresta Shopping Centre is located in Randburg.

Education

Randburg has many schools within its borders and in the nearby areas.

Colleges

High schools

Ferndale High School

Primary schools

Transport

Air Transport

The Lanseria International Airport, located just outside Randburg is conveniently situated within the greater vicinity of the town, located about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north-west of the suburb of Northriding. Lanseria mainly handles general aviation traffic however FlySafair currently offers scheduled domestic services to Cape Town and Durban.

Alternatively, the O.R. Tambo International Airport situated approximately 32 kilometres (19.9 mi) east of Randburg on the East Rand has a wider variety of scheduled flights to other domestic destinations in South Africa, regional destinations in Africa and intercontinental destinations in Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America.

Road Transport

The N1 national route (Western Bypass) is the sole freeway providing access to Randburg and connects the town with Soweto and Bloemfontein to the south and Midrand andPretoria to the north. Randburg is connected to the N1 by the M5 (Beyers Naude Drive) and R512 (Malibongwe Drive). Two regional routes intersect Randburg including the northwesterly R512 (Malibongwe Drive) connecting to the Lanseria International Airport and Hartbeespoort and the northerly R564 (Northumberland Avenue; Witkoppen Road) to Sandton and Roodepoort.

There are also a number of metropolitan routes within the Greater Johannesburg metropolitan region that serve Randburg including the M5 (Beyers Naudé Drive) to Johannesburg and Muldersdrift, M6 (John Vorster Road; Ysterhout Drive; Hans Schoeman Street; Hill Street) to Roodepoort, M20 (Republic Road) to Johannesburg and Sandton and the M71 (Bram Fischer Drive) which runs as the main street of the CBD to Sandton.

Sport

Notable residents

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandton</span> Area in Gauteng province, South Africa

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">N1 Western Bypass (Johannesburg)</span> Road in South Africa

The Western Bypass is a section of the N1 and the Johannesburg Ring Road located in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. Known at the time as the Concrete Highway, the freeway was initially opened in 1975 as a route to avoid the city centre of Johannesburg and to provide access to the western areas of the Witwatersrand. From the south, the Western Bypass begins at the Diepkloof Interchange in Soweto, where it splits from the N12 freeway and ends at the Buccleuch Interchange, where it merges with the N3 Eastern Bypass, M1 South and N1 Ben Schoeman freeways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roodepoort</span> Place in Gauteng, South Africa

Roodepoort is a city in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Formerly an independent municipality, Roodepoort became part of the Johannesburg municipality in the late 1990s, along with Randburg and Sandton. Johannesburg's most famous botanical garden, Witwatersrand National Botanical Gardens, is located in Roodepoort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lanseria International Airport</span> South African airport

Lanseria International Airport is a privately owned international airport that is situated north of Randburg and Sandton to the northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa. The airport can handle aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 757-300 and the airport was created to ease traffic congestion at OR Tambo International Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suburbs of Johannesburg</span>

The suburbs of Johannesburg are officially demarcated areas within the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa. As in other Commonwealth countries, the term suburb refers to a "neighbourhood", although in South Africa most "suburbs" have legally recognised borders and often separate postal codes. The municipal functions for the area, such as municipal policing and social services, are still managed by the city government.

Bordeaux is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. Found north of the Johannesburg CBD, it is next to the suburbs of Ferndale, Blairgowrie and Hurlingham. It is located in Region B of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality.

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Malibongwe Drive, formerly known as Hans Strijdom Drive, is a major road that runs through an industrial area in the northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa. It connects Randburg with Northgate and Lanseria International Airport. Malibongwe is said to mean "be praised" or blessed and which the Johannesburg Development Agency says refers to the 1956 Women's March, a woman's march against the carrying of passes.

Randpark Ridge is an upmarket suburb of Randburg, South Africa. It is located in Region C of the City of Johannesburg. It fell into the town of Randburg during the apartheid era. Developed in the early 1980s and still relatively new, Randpark Ridge is bordered by several other suburbs including Weltevreden Park, Sundowner, Boskruin, Bromhof, Honeydew and Fairland.

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The R512 is a Regional Route in South Africa that connects Brits, North West with Randburg, Gauteng via the western side of Hartbeespoort. It is an alternative route to the R511 for travel between the Johannesburg Metropole and Brits.

The R552 is a Regional Route in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa. It connects Lanseria International Airport with Fourways.

The R564 is a Regional Route in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa. It connects Roodepoort with Buccleuch via Northriding and Fourways.

The R114 is a regional route in Gauteng, South Africa that runs from Muldersdrift to Centurion. The designation R114 is applied to sections of road that were previously part of the N14 that have been replaced by newly built freeway sections.

M6 is a short metropolitan route in Randburg, South Africa. It begins in the western suburb of Glen Dayson and ends in the east on Bram Fischer Drive in Ferndale.

M27 is a major road in the City of Johannesburg, South Africa. A large part of the route is named Jan Smuts Avenue which is roughly 12 km long. It begins in the southern suburb of Booysens and heads northwards through the Johannesburg CBD and the northern suburbs of Randburg.

The M13 is a short metropolitan route in the City of Johannesburg, South Africa. It connects Cresta in Randburg with Hurlingham in Sandton.

The M86 is a short metropolitan route in the Greater Johannesburg, South Africa. It connects Krugersdorp with Randpark Ridge via Roodepoort.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Main Place Randburg". Census 2011.
  2. "Overview". Johannesburg Development Agency. 2010. Archived from the original on 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2012-04-26.
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  6. 1 2 Joyce, Peter (1989). The South African family encyclopaedia. Internet Archive. Cape Town : Struik Publishers. ISBN   978-0-86977-887-6.
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  13. sahoboss (16 March 2011). "National Party wins two-horse-race by-election in Randburg".
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  15. https://www.mindat.org/feature-963241.html#autoanchor1 [ bare URL ]
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  25. "Info" (PDF). www.jda.org.za. 2011.
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