The Saxon Hotel is very close to Sandton and Rosebank, where shopping, art galleries, eateries, and entertainment abound.  Whether you’re in the market for African arts and crafts, or looking for that perfect gift, you will find it at almost any of the shopping malls or markets in these two suburbs. The Sandton City Mall has over 300 shops, and is adjacent to Nelson Mandela Square (formerly known as Sandton Square), which is a delightful piazza, with restaurants offering curries, sushi, steaks, Mediterranean foods, as well as coffee shops dotted around the edge, and where you would be able to sit and relax, and enjoy whatever entertainment is on offer- martial arts displays, tribal dancing or music, art displays, or possibly even a fast talking salesman selling the latest gimmick.

Art Galleries are plentiful, with the Johannesburg Art Gallery hosting both local and international artists and sculptures. If it’s wild life paintings and sculptures that you’re interested in, look no further than Everard Read Gallery in Rosebank. Nelson Mandela Square is also home to the Liberty Theatre, which often stages high-quality productions. The Rosebank Mall offers discerning shopping, with top local and international brands housed in this mall, and it also has an African Arts and Crafts Market, and on a Sunday, they hold a rooftop market, at which curios from all over Africa can be bought. Melrose Arch is a business, shopping and residential district, with wonderful side walk cafes and specialty shops-try some North African food at Moyo, an upmarket trendy restaurant.

Things to do in Sandton

Sandton is also home to the Chamber of Commerce, and several head offices for regional and international companies. There are plenty of things to do in Sandton. The Sandton Convention Centre can comfortably accommodate 3 500 people and hosts a large number of exhibitions, conventions, and special events. Rated as one of the top four conference centres in the Gauteng Province, it is an impressive building to visit. The newly refurbished Carlton Centre offers visitors a chance to go up to the 52nd floor, where a panoramic view of the city, including the fairly new Mandela Bridge, can be enjoyed.

The Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens is just one of the eight network gardens dotting the country- it is just 30 kms west of the city, and is a hive of activity, with star gazing in September/October, plant sales, picnic concerts in winter, and Carols by Candlelight in December. The trails criss cross, , with routes to the fern gardens, a forest walk, a bird watching walk to a hide-out where you can watch the water birds at play, or to the top of one of the two small mountains, where a beautiful waterfall, as well as the eagles nests can be see- possibly even spotting the eagles.

Johannesburg Zoo and Things to do in Sandton

The Johannesburg Zoo is impressively landscaped, and houses the only two Polar Bears in Africa. The Planetarium, north of the city, has interesting talks and slide shows, and also has a domed ceiling depicting the night sky. The best place to go to for music, with weekend performances of jazz, classical music and cabaret, is in Tshwane, (also known as Pretoria), where the South African State Theatre, being the largest theatre in Africa, hosts world-class local and international productions. Art galleries and shopping centres are also worthy of a visit, but private transport is needed in order to visit.
From model trains to African Art, live entertainment to movies, adventure, game viewing, shopping or eating, all are within 20 minutes of the centre of Sandton.

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