Celebrating Youth Day in the City of Gold

May 2022

Thursday, the 16th of June is South Africa's National Youth Day, which honours the youth who died during the Soweto Uprising. This movement began on 16 June 1976 with a series of rallies and protests led by black pupils. The protests attracted around 20,000 students. They were met with a bombardment of police brutality, with several of them shot and killed as a result. This day should be honoured by all of our communities' youth.

Youth Day 2022

We've done some legwork and have come up with a few ideas on how to spend the Public Holiday in Jozi.

City Sightseeing

At City Sightseeing, we are known for our specials and known to look after our locals.  Our famous annual 3 for 1 special is once again available and the perfect way to spend Youth Day.  When you buy one adult one-day ticket, you can bring two children (under the age of 18) for free. Yes, for FREE.

·         For only R265, you will get a 1-day pass for 1 adult ticket and 2 child tickets.  This includes our Green Suburban Loop and our Red Inner City Loop.  (Valid for SA Citizens and available online only)

Hop on our Johannesburg Green Tour at our main departure point in Rosebank and visit the beautiful districts around Zoo Lake, stopping at all of the key sights such as Zoo Lake, the Johannesburg Zoo, and the Military Museum. Change to the Red City Tour at this point and continue your tour across the inner city, stopping at the James Hall Museum of Transport, Gold Reef City Theme Park, and the Apartheid Museum before returning to Constitution Hill via Newtown and Rosebank. You'll quickly see why the City of Gold is not only Africa's economic playground but also one of the world's most forested cities.

Tickets are available online or at The Zone retail complex, Oxford Road, Rosebank (in the pedestrian mall, near KFC and adjacent to Hamley's Toys). The promotion will run from May to 10 October 2022 and will be applicable on weekends, public holidays, and school holidays.

Be sure to keep an eye on our website for other amazing specials and combo deals.

Our famous Red Bus

You may want to include a visit to the KAMERS/Makers Sandton City.  SA's favourite 'up'-market is coming to Sandton City, a stunning new site in Johannesburg. This market will be held on the rooftop (enter through the Atrium on Rivonia Rd) and will feature over 170 of South Africa's greatest artisan Makers.  Fashion, footwear, cosmetics, pottery, jewellery, homeware, textiles, woodwork, decor, and more and better yet, all are proudly made in South Africa and of the highest quality.  The market will be running from 15 – 19 June inclusive.  Book your tickets.

Soweto Experience

One of the best ways to truly celebrate Youth Day is to actually visit the city where this took place.   We’ve found a few activities and things to enjoy in Soweto on Youth Day.

Soweto Experience

Join us on board and combine your red bus experience with a Soweto tour guided by a local resident.  This 1-day valid ticket for the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tour of Johannesburg allows you to explore the city at your own speed. A 2-hour extension tour of Soweto, dubbed "Africa's New York," is featured as well. Enjoy the attractions of the city where Nelson Mandela lived and Mahatma Gandhi began his law career. Hear about two of the twentieth century's most famous liberation heroes in the city where their legal and political careers began while on the Soweto adventure. Follow in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi and his Satyagraha (Passive Resistance) Movement, as well as Nelson Mandela's Defiance Campaign.   Be sure to book your ticket in advance by visiting our website.

The Orlando Towers

To add on to the above, and another fantastic way to spend Youth Day, and to experience Soweto from a different angle, we recommend booking a Walking or Cycling Tour with Lebo’s.  Taking a bicycle, walking, or Tuk Tuk tour of Soweto is a fantastic way to see the city. Lebo's provides 2-hour, half-day, and full-day packages. The routes include stops at historic and cultural sites such as Vilakazi Street, where you can see Nelson Mandela's house and the Hector Pieterson museum, as well as men's migrant worker hostels, churches, and local community gathering places where you can learn about African customs and traditions like tasting home-brewed beer and singing and dancing to traditional African music.

Also in Soweto on Youth Day, you can experience the Secret Sunrise JNB – Youth Day Dance at the famous Soweto Towers, taking place from 08:30 – 09:30.  Participants are given headphones upon arrival and instructed to dance and party in an experience that mixes parts of meditation and ecstatic dance by teachers.  The organisers are also offering a fantastic opportunity to win a free bungee jump at the towers.  To book your tickets or for more information, visit their website.

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Whatever you have planned for Youth Day, remember to honour our youth and take advantage of the public holiday.