Set on the banks of the Natalspruit, Alberton is a residential city that sprawls to the south-east of Johannesburg. It boasts numerous recreational facilities and a wildlife-filled nature reserve, as well as a one-stop shopping destination at a former racecourse.
Things to do in Alberton
Enjoy a round of golf at the Reading Country Club and Golf Course, designed around a series of tree-lined fairways. The Mainly Golf Pro Shop offers rentals and lessons, and you can grab an after-game drink in the Club House.
Need a bit of retail therapy? Head to the Mall at Newmarket, which has been developed over what was once the Newmarket Racecourse. In addition to big-name anchors like Virgin Active and Checkers Hyper, there’s a great selection of restaurants and a horse-themed children's play area.
A short drive from Alberton lies the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve, which provides a haven for wild zebra, black wildebeest and South Africa’s iconic springbok. Iron Age artefacts dating back 250,000 years have been discovered in the reserve and visitors can explore the ruins of Sarel Marais’ mid-19th-century farmhouse and wagon shelter.
Alberton is a good base for visiting the sights of Johannesburg, including the world-renowned Apartheid Museum, which explores South Africa’s troubled past. Jump aboard one of the hop-on-hop-off bus services that access Johannesburg’s major attractions, as well as the famous township of Soweto.
Getting around Alberton
Alberton is 20 minutes’ drive from Johannesburg’s city centre and is connected by regular bus services, as well as by train from the Mpilisweni Station. O.R. Tambo International Airport is 30 minutes’ drive north of Alberton.