General Information
Johannesburg is the most populous city in South Africa. The City of Johannesburg itself has a population of 5,538,596, while the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality has a population of 6,599,190, making it one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, and seat of the country's highest court, the Constitutional Court. Situated on the mineral-rich Witwatersrand hills, the city has long been at the epicentre of the international mineral and gold trade. The richest city in Africa by GDP and private wealth, Johannesburg functions as the economic capital of South Africa and is home to the continent's largest stock exchange, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
- Population: 5,900,000+ (Metro Area)
- Area: 1,645 km²
- Currency: South African Rand (ZAR)
- Coordinates: Latitude: -26.204444885254, Longitude: 28.045555114746
- Timezone: Timezone info not available
- Current Local Time: ailab
Johannesburg Latest News
IOL
WATCH: Sarah Govender’s sister pays emotional tribute at funeral
Her parents, Seelan and Jenny Govender, described their daughter’s funeral as ‘the hardest day of our lives’.
IOL
eThekwini election dialogue highlights broken promises and ward failures
Representatives of seven political parties contesting eThekwini have identified poor accountability, inadequate service delivery and broken promises as drivers of voter apathy, while offering competing solutions ahead of the November 4 local government elections.
The Citizen
Weather warnings: Severe storms, damaging winds and fire for Monday
Partly cloudy, warm to hot weather has been forecast across much of South Africa on Monday, 19 October, with severe thunderstorms and damaging winds expected in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and the eastern Free State. Dangerous fire conditions are also expected in several provinces. Here is what weather to expect on Monday, according to the South African Weather Service. Weather warnings: Monday, 19 October 2026 A yellow level 2 warning has been issued for severe thunderstorms over most of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), except along the south coast and adjacent interior. The storms could result in damage to infrastructure and the flooding of susceptible roads and bridges. Another yellow level 2 warning has been issued for damaging winds over the eastern parts of the Free State, as well as the western and eastern parts of KZN. The winds could lead to navigation problems at sea along the coast and difficulty for high-sided vehicles driving on certain routes until Tuesday morning. Lastly, a yellow level 2 warning was issued for damaging winds and waves along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline. This could result in localised disruption of beachfront activities, small harbours and/or ports until Tuesday morning. Fire warnings Extremely high fire conditions are expected over northern KwaZulu-Natal, the eastern parts of both the Free State and North West, northern parts of Gauteng and the central and south-western parts of Limpopo. Heatwave A heatwave with persistently high temperatures is expected in places over the Mpumalanga Highveld, the southern parts of the Mpumalanga Lowveld and the south-western bushveld of Limpopo. Provincial weather forecast Here’s what to expect in your province on Monday, 19 October 2026: Gauteng: It will be partly cloudy and warm with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers in the extreme south. It will be hot in places in the north. The region’s expected UVB sunburn index is “high”. Residents should take the necessary precautions against prolonged sun exposure. Mpumalanga: Expect fine and warm to hot weather, becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon with isolated showers and thundershowers in the south as well as in the Lowveld, where it will be very hot. It will be windy over the Highveld. Limpopo: It will be fine and hot to very hot, but extremely hot in places in the Lowveld and Limpopo Valley. It will become partly cloudy in the south-west. North West: Expect partly cloudy, windy and warm to hot conditions, with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers in the west. Free State: It will be partly cloudy, windy and cool to warm with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers. Northern Cape: Expect partly cloudy, windy and cool to warm conditions, with isolated afternoon showers and thundershowers in the east. The wind along the coast will be moderate to fresh southerly. Western Cape: It will be cloudy and cold to cool with isolated showers and rain in the morning over the central and eastern interior, but scattered along the eastern parts of the south coast. The expected UVB sunburn index is “very high”. Eastern Cape (western half): It will be cloudy and cool with widespread rain and showers. The wind along the coast will be fresh to strong south-westerly. Eastern Cape (eastern half): Expect cloudy and cool conditions with widespread rain and showers. Thunderstorms are likely over the interior in the morning. The wind along the coast will be fresh to strong south-westerly. KwaZulu-Natal: There will be morning fog patches over the interior; otherwise, it will be cloudy and warm to hot, but very hot in places over the northern parts, with scattered showers and thundershowers. The expected UVB sunburn index is “moderate”.
The Citizen
Proteas stumble early in rain-hit first day of second Test against Australia
Australia’s Scott Boland took two wickets in two balls on a severely rain-shortened first day of the second Test against South Africa at St George’s Park on Sunday. South Africa, sent in to bat, were 20/2 when play was called off after two short periods of play during which only 12.2 overs were bowled. But it was enough for Boland to strike two crucial blows. He dismissed Aiden Markram and David Bedingham – South Africa’s most successful batters in their defeat in the first Test in Durban. Coming on as first change, Boland bowled Markram for 11 with his 10th delivery, a ball which nipped in off the pitch to crash into Markram’s middle stump off an inside edge. Then he produced a ball which seamed away to have Bedingham caught behind first ball. Boland was making only his 20th appearance in Australia’s 50th Test since making a sensational debut when he took 6/7 against England in Melbourne in December 2021. He has had to wait his turn behind Australia’s world-class pace trio of skipper Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. He got his chance on Sunday, replacing off-spinner Nathan Lyon when Australia decided to field an all-seam attack on a green-tinged pitch in heavily overcast conditions. “Scotty Boland has been incredible whenever he’s played Test cricket,” Cummins said after winning the toss. “When there’s anything in the wicket, he gets a lot of seam movement, super accurate, and then even if it does flatten out, he brings control, experience. He’s the whole package.” Weather disruptions Rain started falling 10 minutes after the toss and delayed the start by two hours. Markram hit two boundaries off Starc before play was halted with South Africa on 11 without loss after 5.3 overs. Boland was brought into the attack after the players returned in the afternoon and immediately struck a challenging length. New cap Marques Ackerman was unbeaten on five and captain Temba Bavuma was on four when rain brought what proved to be the final stoppage of the day. Boland for Lyon was the only change from the Australian team that won the first Test by 214 runs. South Africa made three changes, with fast bowler Kagiso Rabada returning after recovering from a hamstring injury. He replaced left-arm spin bowler Keshav Maharaj. Ackerman and fellow batter Matthew Breetzke replaced Tristan Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne with Ryan Rickelton taking over from Verreynne as wicketkeeper.
The South African
Emily Ratajkowski turns heads in red gown at Academy Museum Gala – PHOTOS
Model Emily Ratajkowski turned heads in a striking red gown as she attended the Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles with her boyfriend, French film director Romain Gavras. The 35-year-old model joined her 45-year-old partner on the red carpet on Saturday, with the couple posing together for photographs before heading inside the star-studded event. Ratajkowski opted for a vibrant, figure-hugging dress featuring twisted sleeves and ruched detailing around the waist, while Gavras kept his look classic in a black suit, white shirt and tie. The appearance offered another public glimpse into the couple’s relationship, which has attracted attention since they were first romantically linked in November 2025. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) Emily Ratajkowski and Romain Gavras turn heads The couple appeared in good spirits as they posed together at the gala, with their latest outing coming weeks after they were reportedly spotted sharing affectionate moments during a trip to Rome. Emily Ratajkowski and Gavras were first seen kissing in New York in November last year before making their relationship Instagram official in February 2026. Their appearance at the Los Angeles event adds to a series of public outings since their romance became known. The model’s relationship with Gavras is also her longest reported romance since her divorce from film producer Sebastian Bear-McClard in 2022. Following the split, Ratajkowski was linked to several high-profile personalities, including Pete Davidson, Harry Styles and comedian Eric André. Who is Romain Gavras? Gavras is a French film director whose work includes the 2018 film The World Is Yours, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival’s Directors’ Fortnight, and Athena, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2022. His latest film, Sacrifice, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2026 and marks his English-language debut. The film stars Anya Taylor-Joy in a story about a zealot who plans to sacrifice three influential people in an attempt to save the world from destruction. Gavras has also directed music videos, including Jay-Z, Kanye West and Frank Ocean’s No Church in the Wild, which earned a Grammy nomination in 2013. He is the son of acclaimed Greek-French filmmaker Costa-Gavras. Gavras’ previous high-profile relationships Before dating Emily Ratajkowski, Gavras was romantically involved with British singer Dua Lipa. Their relationship ended in 2023 after approximately eight months together. He also previously dated singer Rita Ora. The pair were linked in 2020 and reportedly enjoyed holidays together before their relationship ended during the Covid-19 lockdown period. For Ratajkowski and Gavras, however, their latest red-carpet appearance suggests their relationship continues to develop, with the pair increasingly appearing together at public events.
The South African
World Rugby rankings: Springboks’ lead cut by All Blacks
The All Blacks have closed the gap on the Springboks in the latest World Rugby rankings following their Bledisloe Cup win over Australia on Saturday. Dave Rennie’s New Zealanders beat the Wallabies 43-21 in Sydney on Saturday to wrap up a 2-0 Bledisloe Cup triumph, having won the first match 50-19 in Auckland. Following their win in Australia, the All Blacks picked up 0.46 ranking points to move to 92.27 points, just 0.82 adrift of the Springboks. Meanwhile, Australia lost 0.46 points and dropped to seventh place overall. Updated World Rugby rankings RankTeamPoints1South Africa93.092New Zealand92.273Ireland88.084France87.435England85.686Scotland84.787Australia84.438Argentina82.249Japan77.2810Fiji76.8111Wales76.3812Italy76.3013Georgia73.9414Portugal69.3915USA67.5816Chile66.9417Spain66.8318Uruguay65.7519Tonga65.1420Samoa64.73 ‘Character and courage’ Rennie said post-Test that the All Blacks have rediscovered their confidence after responding to their 3-1 series defeat to the Springboks with the two emphatic victories over Australia. The All Blacks followed produced a strong response after losing Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series against the world champions. New Zealand were particularly impressive in the first half, scoring six tries to establish a commanding 36-7 lead at the break. For Rennie, the performances demonstrated the character and resilience within his squad after a difficult series against South Africa. “That was excellent,” he said. “A lot of stuff that we did well last week, we were able to put 40 minutes of that together.” The coach praised his players’ physicality, ball-carrying, breakdown work and decision-making, which helped New Zealand dominate large portions of the encounter. “I’m proud of the character and the courage,” Rennie added. However, he felt the All Blacks could have made the margin even greater had they maintained their first-half accuracy and clinical execution after the interval. Beauden Barrett delivers reminder of his class Veteran fullback Beauden Barrett was among New Zealand’s standout performers, scoring two tries in Sydney after limited opportunities during the series against South Africa. The 147-Test veteran benefited from injuries elsewhere in the squad and made the most of his opportunity, underlining the experience and quality available to Rennie. The coach was particularly impressed with Barrett’s influence on the team. “It just highlights how fortunate we are,” Rennie said. “Beauden’s experience, communication, the quality of his decision-making is excellent. It’s great having him in the mix.” Barrett’s performance provided a timely boost for New Zealand as they prepare for the next stage of their international campaign. Injury concerns cloud All Blacks revival Despite the back-to-back victories, New Zealand still face significant selection concerns ahead of their European fixtures next month. The All Blacks were already without several key players for the Sydney Test, including Ardie Savea, Leroy Carter, Caleb Clarke, Ruben Love and Richie Mo’unga. Further concerns emerged after Shannon Frizell and Samisoni Taukei’aho sustained knocks. The extent of those injuries will influence Rennie’s selection decisions as he looks to maintain the momentum generated by the victories over Australia. While the Wallabies results have restored confidence, New Zealand will need to demonstrate that they can sustain their improved performances against stronger opposition. Codie Taylor explains All Blacks response Captain Codie Taylor said the squad had taken an honest look at itself following the defeat to South Africa. Although the 3-1 series result left the players disappointed, Taylor said they believed there were positive elements in their performances against the Springboks that could provide a foundation for improvement. “We had an honest look at ourselves after that RGR, and you know, as always, you’re never satisfied and we probably walked away from that pretty gutted,” he said. “But also knowing that we were playing a brand of rugby that we could be really proud of and really grow on.” Taylor said winning the Bledisloe Cup and following it with another convincing performance in Sydney had helped restore confidence within the squad. He also acknowledged the mental challenge of meeting the standards expected of the All Blacks. “I thought we did that for majority of the game, so really proud of the lads,” he said. The two victories over Australia provide New Zealand with renewed momentum after their series defeat to the Springboks. However, their upcoming European campaign will offer another opportunity to measure their progress against international opposition.
TechCentral
South Africa’s ATM network faces its biggest overhaul in decades
The Reserve Bank wants all of South Africa's ATMs white-labelled, with free transactions below a threshold, starting with a pilot in January.
TechCentral
The R77 000 iPhone has arrived in South Africa
Apple's first foldable iPhone carries a steeper local premium than its new HomeView, HomePod mini 2 and Apple TV 4K.