Conversation

If you think about it, Johannesburg's geography is pretty weird. It's this huge city in the middle of nowhere, not close to any ports or trade routes. It was a boom town — it grew rapidly due to the discovery of gold in the late 19th century. But unlike other boom towns, the gold didn't run out. It was mined for so long that an entire diversified economy could grow around it: indeed the heart of the country's economy.