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Johannesburg

American  
[joh-han-is-burg, -hah-nis-, yoh-hahn-uhs-bœrkh] / dʒoʊˈhæn ɪsˌbɜrg, -ˈhɑ nɪs-, yoʊˈhɑn əsˌbœrx /

noun

  1. a city in S Transvaal, in the NE Republic of South Africa.


Johannesburg British  
/ dʒəʊˈhænɪsˌbɜːɡ /

noun

  1. a city in N South Africa; the capital of Gauteng province: South Africa's largest city and chief industrial centre; grew with the establishment in 1886 of the gold-mining industry; University of Witwatersrand (1922). Pop: 1 009 036 (2001)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Johannesburg Cultural  
  1. Largest city in South Africa, located in the northeastern part of the country.


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It is the commercial center for South Africa's diamond and gold industries.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In the Johannesburg suburb of Greenside, a large group of protesters of all ages and backgrounds are waving placards and banging empty plastic bottles together.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

Before joining the Journal, she was Johannesburg correspondent and bureau chief for AP–Dow Jones, the international arm of the Dow Jones newswires.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

Four of the men landed in Johannesburg last week, while two remained in Russia where one of them was in hospital, according to the South African government.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

A gold rush has gripped an informal settlement east of the South African city of Johannesburg, after reports spread a few days ago about the discovery of some gold particles.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

Whenever I had a case outside Johannesburg, I applied to have my bans temporarily lifted, and this was often granted.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela