Brakpan (original) (raw)
Brakpan, East Rand
The towns of Brakpan, Benoni and Springs, though separate, have virtually become one due to development and urban sprawl. Give it time and Germiston, Boksburg, Benoni, Brakpan and Springs will simply be eastern suburbs of Johannesburg.
Interestingly, Brakpan started as a suburb of Benoni until it was given its own status as a town in 1912. Now these little towns are extensions of the sprawling city that serves as the gateway to Africa.
That said, they do have a real character of their own. Brakpan, the town, emerged largely due to the gold and uranium mining that continues today, even if the mines now give a fairly low yield and are fairly costly to maintain. Its rather gutteral name is derived from a non-perennial lake that used to be here during the 1880s that had a habit of drying out during the year to little more than a brackish pan, giving the town something of a romantic angle, considering the central business area of the town is anything but pretty.
Move out into the more suburban roads and little tinned roofed homes add character to the leafy sidewalks. Homes might suffer a similar fate to most of those in Jo'burg � walls and electric fences - but the walls are not as high, and some houses are defined by little more than a fence.
Although there is a prevalence of Afrikaans spoken here, the names of streets in older suburbs reflect the original English influence - Gladstone Street, Gardiner, Queen and Hastings. The building of a Casino complex known as 'Carnival City' that brings visitors here hasn't done much to shift the image the town had as conservative, however.
But there are plenty of golf courses, the town will offer you all you need in the way of shops, and it is close to OR Thambo Airport.
In the vicinity
Hotels & other accommodation options
Guest House / Bed & Breakfast
Carnival View Guest House
Carnival View Guest House offers accommodation in the quiet suburb of Van Dyk Park in Brakpan, Gauteng. The Guest House is one block away from th...
Guest House
Accommodation At Thabong
Accommodation At Thabong is located in Brakpan and provides Johannesburg accommodation close to Carnival City Casino and the Rondebult Bird Sanct...
Things to do in the area
Sports & Leisure
Wi Jump Trampoline Park
Wi: Jump is the biggest trampoline park on the East Rand (Johannesburg) and promises endless adventure for kids, fitness enthusiasts, and the you...
Casinos & Gaming
Carnival City Entertainment World
Carnival City Entertainment World in Johannesburg is aptly named as it really does offer a world of entertainment to young and old, locals and in...
Malls & Shopping
Shopping at Carnival City
Everyone loves a bit of retail therapy, even when you�re visiting the entertainment capital of Carnival City in Brakpan, Johannesburg. Carnival C...
Bird Sanctuaries
Rondebult Bird Sanctuary
In the East Rand, which is considered to be part of greater Johannesburg, there can be found a variety of industrial giants, retail malls and sub...
Noteworthy attractions
Golf Courses
Benoni Country Club
Benoni Golf Course and Country Club is located on Johannesburg�s East Rand and serves as a wonderful break from the city yet remains within the c...
Golf Courses
Benoni Lake Golf Club
One of the four large expanses of water that form a chain through this East Rand municipality is known as Middle Lake, and it is on the shores of...
Golf Courses
ERPM Golf Course
The ERPM Golf course has bent grass greens and kikuyu fairways, and has a flat parkland layout. The long-time home of US Senior PGA star John Bla...
Golf Courses
Germiston Country Club
18 holes, par-72. Rating 71, 6 523 metres. The course has kikuyu fairway and bent grass greens. The Germiston Lake comes into play on the par-thr...
Golf Courses
Glendower Golf Club
Conveniently located within 10 minutes of OR Tambo International Airport, Glendower Golf Course is a well designed 6770m course, situated against...
Golf Courses
Glenvista Golf Club
The Glenvista golf course boasts 18 superb bent grass greens built to United States Golf Association standards. Five dams, four of which come int...
Golf Courses
Kempton Park Golf Club
The Kempton Park Golf Course is on the corner of Plein and Green Avenue in Spartan, Kempton Park. Ernie Els learnt to play golf at the Kempton Pa...
Golf Courses
Modderfontein Golf Club
Modderfontein Golf Course has Kikuyu fairways and bent grass greens. Water comes into play on 11 of the 18 holes. The club has had a top 20 ratin...
Golf Courses
Reading Country Club
Reading Country Club boasts a 18-hole golf course in a typical woodlands layout. The course is tree-lined with water featuring on 10 of the 18 ho...
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