Randburg

26°5′37″S 28°0′23″E / 26.09361°S 28.00639°E / -26.09361; 28.00639CountrySouth AfricaProvinceGautengMunicipalityCity of JohannesburgArea • Total167.98 km² (64.86 sq mi)Population • Total337,053 • Density2,000/km² (5,200/sq mi)Racial makeup (2011) • Black African36.8% • Coloured11.6% • Indian/Asian7.5% • White45.7% • Other1.5%First languages (2011) • English52.0% • Afrikaans17.6% • Zulu6.6% • Tswana4.1% • Other19.6%Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)Postal code (street)PO boxArea code011

Randburg is an area located in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Formerly a separate municipality, its administration devolved to the newly created City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, along with neighbouring Sandton and Roodepoort, in the late 1990s. During the transitional period of 1996–2000, Randburg was part of the Northern Metropolitan Local Council (MLC).^[2]

History

Randburg was founded as a town in 1959,^[3]: 292 as the amalgamation of 32 suburbs, northwest of Johannesburg. Although economically linked to Johannesburg, residents chose to create their own town council. The name Randburg was chosen in a competition, and is derived from the South African Rand currency, which was introduced at around the same time that the new municipality was established in 1959.^[4] Like other affluent northern suburbs of Johannesburg, the area was regarded as relatively liberal and elected Democratic Party members of parliament.^{[citation needed]} As Apartheid ended, it became more supportive of F. W. de Klerk's reform-minded National Party.^[5][6][7] In 1962, it became a municipality.^[3]: 292

The resident demographic of Randburg tends to be more affluent than most of Johannesburg. The area was declared as a white area during the Apartheid era, but post-apartheid has attracted a varied population. In 2001, it was still predominantly occupied by white English and Afrikaans suburbanites.^[8]

Geography

Randburg is located 18 km north-west of Johannesburg's Central Business District (CBD) on the northwestern rural-urban fringe of the Greater Johannesburg metropolis and is flanked by Johannesburg to the south, Sandton to the east, Roodepoort to the west and the rural areas of Chartwell and Farmall to the north.

Suburbs

The municipal area of Randburg contains numerous suburbs; many of these are residential. Some larger areas include:

• Aldara Park
• Blairgowrie
• Bordeaux
• Boskruin
• Bromhof
• Cresta
• Darrenwood
• Fairlands
• Ferndale
• Jukskei Park
• Kensington B
• Malanshof
• Northriding
• Northwold
• Olivedale
• Randpark Ridge
• Robindale
• Robin Hills
• Windsor East
• Windsor West

A number of Johannesburg suburbs including Parkhurst, Parkwood, Emmarentia, Linden, Northcliff, and Greenside^[9] although erroneously included by Google Maps^[10] as part of Randburg have never been part of the area.^[8]

Economy

Multichoice and its associated companies, M-Net and SuperSport, have their head offices in Randburg.

The central business district of Randburg had fallen into decay starting in the 1990s,^[11] and plans were made to revive the CBD by the Johannesburg municipality.^[12]

Strijdom Park is a well developed commercial/light industrial area in Randburg, wedged between the N1 Western Bypass and Malibongwe Drive. Strijdom park has a substantial auto sales and repair industry and has several other small industries that service the whole of northern Johannesburg.

Randburg has faced competition from Sandton which is normally the preferred location for businesses but offers lower rentals and property prices whilst providing easy transportation to the west and central Johannesburg. There are future plans to connect Randburg onto the Gautrain routes. Cresta Shopping Centre is located in Randburg.

Education

Randburg has many schools within its borders and in the nearby areas.

Colleges

• Damelin Randburg
• CTI Randburg (Robin Acres)
• Boston City Campus and Business College
• College Campus
• AAA School of Advertising
• Vega School of Brand Leadership (Bordeaux)
• Technisa - South West Gauteng College (Bordeaux)
• Global Prospectus Development Institute

High schools

• Excelsior Learning Centre
• Aurora Private School
• King's School (also primary level)
• Ferndale High School
• Hoërskool Randburg (Fontainebleau)
• Hoërskool Linden
• Radley Private High School (Ferndale, also primary level)
• Trinity House School, Johannesburg (also primary level)
• Randpark High School, Randpark Ridge
• Amazing Grace Private School (also primary level)

Ferndale High School

Primary schools

• Bordeaux Primary School
• Blairgowrie Primary School
• I.R. Griffith Primary School (Blairgowrie)
• Laerskool Fontainebleau
• Laerskool Louw Geldenhuys
• Laerskool Unika
• North West Christian School
• Rand Park Primary School
• Risidale Primary School
• Spark schools Blairgowrie and Ferndale
• St Stithians College (Preparatory school)

Transport

Air Transport

The Lanseria International Airport, located just outside Randburg is conveniently situated within the greater vicinity of the town, located about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north-west of the suburb of Northriding. Lanseria mainly handles general aviation traffic however FlySafair currently offers scheduled domestic services to Cape Town and Durban.

Alternatively, the O.R. Tambo International Airport situated approximately 32 kilometres (19.9 mi) east of Randburg on the East Rand has a wider variety of scheduled flights to other domestic destinations in South Africa, regional destinations in Africa and intercontinental destinations in Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America.

Road Transport

The N1 national route (Western Bypass) is the sole freeway providing access to Randburg and connects the town with Bloemfontein to the south and Pretoria to the north. Randburg is connected to the N1 by the M5 Beyers Naude Drive and R512 Malibongwe Drive. Two regional routes intersect Randburg including the northwesterly R512 (Malibongwe Drive) connecting to the Lanseria International Airport and Hartbeestpoort and the northerly R564 (Northumberland Avenue; Witkoppen Road) to Sandton and Roodepoort.

There are also a number of metropolitan routes within the Greater Johannesburg metropolitan region that serve Randburg including the M5 (Beyers Naudé Drive) to Johannesburg and Muldersdrift, M6 (John Vorster Road; Ysterhout Drive; Hans Schoeman Street; Hill Street) to Roodepoort, M20 (Republic Road) to Johannesburg and Sandton and the M71 (Bram Fischer Drive) which runs as the main street of the CBD to Sandton.

Sport

• Randburg Astroturf is a field hockey stadium.

Notable residents

• Pastor Ray McCauley (born 1 October 1949), the founder of Rhema family church.^{[citation needed]}
• Gift Ngoepe (born 1990), baseball infielder

References