Johannesburg has always been a city that defies convention — born not out of beauty, but out of necessity, and driven by a hunger for the riches beneath its soil.

This week, it celebrates a milestone that almost slipped quietly past: its 97th birthday as an official city.

On the 5th of September 1928, thousands crammed onto the steps of the old Town Hall to hear the proclamation that Johannesburg — once just a rough mining camp — had finally earned city status. For many, it felt less like a triumph of elegance than a testament to sheer survival.

In truth, Joburg was never meant to charm. It sat awkwardly on dusty ground between three forgotten farms, where streets were more mud than stone and danger lurked as readily as opportunity. But below, hidden in the rock, lay veins of gold that would lure dreamers, drifters, and fortune-seekers from every corner of the world.

The Mystery Behind Joburg’s Name and Origins

Its name, oddly enough, has puzzled historians ever since. Was it Johann Rissik, the meticulous surveyor? Johannes Joubert, the mining chief? Or perhaps President Paul Kruger himself, with officials joking they’d used his second name instead?

Joburg in 1886. Source: Wikipedia

The early maps and street plans were full of “Johannes” — from Meyer to Lindeque — so many, in fact, that no one can say with certainty who left their mark.

That mystery is part of Johannesburg’s character: a place shaped as much by legend as by fact, and by people chasing more than just gold. HOT1027’s Al Prodgers takes us back to those uncertain beginnings — and into the debate over who “Johannes” really was.

Listen to the full report, and rediscover the city we thought we knew.