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In our gay guide to Johannesburg, we're sharing the best of the best of the gay scene, safe places to stay, and top things to do. We touched down at Tambo airport feeling quite tentative about our trip here. Jo'burg is like any big major city. Of course, it has its problems, and you should avoid certain areas, lock up your valuables in your hotel room's safe, and keep your phone in your pocket out of harm's reach.

But with basic common sense, your trip will be worry-free. This was our experience, despite being on our guard from the moment we arrived. Johannesburg is a fascinating city to explore, and a complete contrast to Cape Town. It's gritty, edgy, raw, tough, full of green spaces, and has the most welcoming, friendly people you'll meet.

It even has a small but exciting gay scene. As the largest city and financial hub of South Africa, this is where it all happened — from the Gold Rush to the trials and tribulations of Nelson Mandela, who lived a large chunk of his life here. Oh Jozi, Jozi — you got us good! We arrived feeling skeptical but left with an insatiable desire to return to delve deeper.

Heads up: We just wanted to let you know that this post contains affiliate links. That means if you book something through one of those links, we'll get a small commission, at no extra cost to you. It helps us keep our blog going — so thank you in advance for your support! First, we selected the material in one of the bustling downtown markets, then we watched the Caraci team hand-make it from scratch after taking our measurements.

Gay Johannesburg: our complete travel guide for LGBTQ travelers

Absolutely EPIC! Find out more. When it comes to overall safety in Johannesburg, the same applies to everybody whether you're straight or gay. Johannesburg is not the safest city in the world but if you stick to the touristy areas, you'll be fine. There are parts of the city we were advised to avoid, particularly the townships unless visiting as part of a guided tour.

We were also advised to be cautious when walking around in the Central Business District CBD area because it is notorious for petty theft, particularly for those of us ahem! As a safety precaution, we advise taking a taxi from your hotel to restaurants, bars, and tourist places you intend to visit and leaving anything valuable at your hotel.

We followed all these safety precautions and were fine on our trip. As gay tourists, we found Johannesburg to be gay friendly. However, the city has a reputation for violence which affects straight or gay. Johannesburg and Cape Town are two main gay hubs of South Africa, a country we rated to be one of the most gay friendly countries in the world.

It famously became the 5th country in the world to legalize gay marriage back inthe first in all of Africa. For a deeper insight, check out our interview with Sebo from Johannesburg about gay life in South Africa and what it's like growing up queer in Johannesburg.