Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa. It is also the capital of Gauteng province, which is one of the largest and most prosperous areas of South Africa.
Johannesburg is listed as an alpha global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, which indicates that it is a major node in the world economy. Johannesburg has an estimated population of 5.6 million, or about 9.8% of the country’s total population1, contributing significantly to South Africa’s GDP.
1 World Population Review, 2019
Johannesburg is a major hub for the gold and diamond trade, dating back to its founding in 1886. The city is located close to the Witwatersrand hills, where one of the world’s largest gold deposits was found in the 19th century.
Today, the city is an international finance hub, as well as the economic and financial centre of South Africa. Fintech companies, as well as the more conventional financial service providers in Singapore, will find Johannesburg to be a familiar environment.
City Deep, in Johannesburg, is the largest dry port in the world. About half of all cargo that arrive through Durban and Cape Town move through the port. City Deep is a designated Industrial Development Zone, and Singapore businesses dealing in imports and exports can secure special concessions for working within the area.
Besides shipping, other key industries in Johannesburg include information technology, media, private healthcare, and real estate2.
Contact our Johannesburg overseas centre on how you can expand into the region.
2 “About the City - Economy and Infrastructure”, The City of Johannesburg