The South African farm that became the richest square mile in Africa
Sandton City is often touted as the “richest square mile in Africa” and serves as South Africa’s financial hub, having developed from a small piece of farmland.
Sandton City was built on land that was previously a magnificent stud farm, originally part of the Zandfontein farm.
Between 1967 and 1969, the property development company Rapp and Maister began purchasing land in what would become Sandton.
The company, led by Michael Rapp, had planned to use the land for luxury residential properties and a small mall.
This plan changed when, in 1969, Johannesburg announced the formation of a new municipality outside of its central business district.
The city had seen growing unhappiness over the lack of space, and established a new municipality to create a second city centre.
The municipality was named Sandton, after the two suburbs Bryanston and Sandhurst, which were included in the new area.
Following this, Rapp and Maister realised that their 32 hectares of land were close to the new municipality and quickly changed their plans.
The property group changed tactics and began developing shopping and office spaces to capitalise on the need for a new business district in Johannesburg.
The change in plans for the area was not without its problems, as residents strongly opposed such major construction.
One of the largest issues was the plan to build a 20-storey office building in an area originally intended for residential use.
Following the purchase of a few other pieces of land in the area, Rapp and Maister began construction on Sandton City.
The construction was a massive financial undertaking, with the company taking on approximately R20 million (roughly R1.9 billion, adjusted for inflation) in debt to complete it.
The design of the Sandton City mall was inspired by overseas properties Rapp had seen in his travels, including malls in Toronto and Versailles.
Initially, the Sandton City mall was 30,000 square metres, along with an office tower, far smaller than what it would eventually become.
Sandton today
Today, Sandton is home to some of the largest businesses in South Africa and is also known for its high-end stores and restaurants.
The area is home to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), which moved from the Johannesburg CBD in 2000.
The move helped cement Sandton’s reputation as the country’s financial and commercial hub, and it is also home to several JSE-listed companies, such as Sasol and Old Mutual.
Other notable companies, such as Discovery, Investec, and Nedbank, which are all in the JSE’s top-40 index, have headquarters in the area.
Outside the JSE, the five biggest law firms in South Africa, including ENS Africa and Werksmans attorneys, are headquartered in Sandton.
Sandton City, the area’s main shopping centre, has also expanded notably in recent years and has over 200 stores.
This includes its diamond walk, which is a section featuring high-end international retailers such as Burberry, Cartier, and Louis Vuitton.
Sandton City also includes the famous Nelson Mandela Square, which features several restaurants and a large statue of the former president.
The area has several hotels, including the Sandton Sun, a 5-star hotel with amenities such as two pools and a spa.
“This recently refurbished hotel boasts a variety of restaurants and bars, as well as a deck that offers visitors and locals a breathtaking view of Sandton,” Sandton City said on its website.
This hotel is directly connected to the Sandton City shopping centre via a skywalk and is owned and operated by Southern Sun.
In 2010, the Gautrain was introduced in South Africa, with an underground station built underneath Sandton City.
This station provides convenient transportation for people visiting the area from other parts of Gauteng, and for those staying in hotels in Sandton.
Photos of Sandton City
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