Cape Town vs Johannesburg: Which Is Better for Black Travelers and Expats?
When it comes to visiting South Africa, Cape Town is often the postcard city: the one you see splashed across travel magazines and pinned to Pinterest boards. Its landscape is spectacular with dramatic mountains, turquoise beaches, wine farms, and iconic landmarks like Table Mountain and Robben Island.
Johannesburg, by contrast, is often treated as an obligatory stop or worse, a city to avoid altogether. Safety concerns dominate online forums, and guidebooks often give it a cautious footnote.
But for Black travelers, especially those from the diaspora, this binary narrative often misses the mark.
The real question isn’t just which city is prettier or safer. It’s: Which city sees you? Which city feels like you belong?
To get to the heart of this question, I listened to the stories of people who’ve lived in or visited both cities—Black South Africans and Black travelers from the U.S. and elsewhere. Their insights reveal a complex portrait of each city, and how race, history, wealth, and culture shape everyday experience.
The Energy: Johannesburg’s Grit vs. Cape Town’s Ease
Let’s start with the vibe, as Galston Anthony, an American who’s lived in both cities, puts it.
Johannesburg
“Johannesburg is about making the dream come true, the hustle,” he says. “The culture there is a really fast-paced one… kind of like the mind state of LA people: fake it till you make it. The hustle of New Yorkers. Sandton [in Johannesburg] has its little mini Manhattan.”
It’s not just about ambition or appearance, though. Johannesburg feels Black. It feels alive. The energy is kinetic—street markets, music, entrepreneurship, and fashion spill into public spaces. It’s not polished, but it’s raw in a way that speaks directly to many diaspora visitors.
Cape Town
By contrast, Galston describes Cape Town as a city of natural beauty and calm.
“Cape Town focuses more on its natural beauty… it’s about taking the air in, it's about the creativeness of the city, it's about the feel, the texture, the quality of life.”
He compares the inner city to San Francisco and the coastal stretch to Miami’s strip. For travelers seeking rest and luxury, Cape Town excels. But beneath the beauty, a more complicated racial dynamic simmers just under the surface.
“There are white spaces and Black spaces.”
A South African woman who goes by @zee.mgazi on TikTok relocated from Johannesburg to Cape Town, explains it plainly:
“The one major difference is that there are white people spaces and Black people spaces [in Cape Town], and then some mixed spaces. In Jo’burg it’s mostly mixed. You feel the difference.”
This isn’t about mere demographics. Cape Town’s racial segmentation plays out in ways that feel subtle at times—through event marketing, gym playlists, social media aesthetics—and blatant at others.
“I've been in spaces where I was the only Black person on multiple occasions,” she says. “And whenever I've been in that space, I felt like it wasn't catered to people of color or Black people.”
Zee shares an experience where she and her then-partner were denied entry into a venue, despite having IDs and meeting age requirements. “It was clear. We weren’t wanted there,” she says. “And what pissed me off the most? The security guard was also Black.”
Her story illustrates a frustrating paradox: even in a majority-Black country, racism and exclusionary practices persist—often reinforced by systems and even Black individuals trying to protect access for a white elite, both consciously or subconsciously.
Cape Town: A Beautiful City with a Segregated Soul
This experience isn’t unique. Countless Black travelers have reported a similar dissonance in Cape Town: a place on the African continent where they feel less at home than they expected.
At first glance, the stats seem confusing. Cape Town’s population is 39% Black African, 42% Coloured (the local term for multiracial South Africans), and 16% white. Johannesburg, by contrast, is 76% Black African and just 12% white. But numbers don’t tell the full story.
Cape Town feels whiter.
And there are several reasons why.
Spatial Apartheid Still Shapes Cape Town
Cape Town was one of the most violently segregated cities under apartheid. Entire communities were forcibly removed from vibrant neighborhoods like District Six so that white-only areas could expand. Today, while the legal system has changed, the city’s layout has not.
Wealthier, historically white areas like Sea Point, Camps Bay, and Constantia remain largely white and prohibitively expensive. Black and Coloured communities often live in sprawling townships like Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain—many miles from the city center and tourist hubs. Public transportation remains unreliable and underdeveloped, reinforcing physical and social divides.
The result? You can spend days in Cape Town and see very few Black faces in places of leisure—unless they're in service roles.
Cape Town’s Tourism Industry Still Centers Whiteness
From vineyard tours to boutique wellness retreats, much of Cape Town’s tourist economy caters to white South Africans and non-Black international visitors. That doesn’t mean Black travelers can’t enjoy these spaces—but it does mean entering as outsiders, not as the intended clientele.
Lena Sow, a solo American Black traveler who goes by @sowonthego on TikTok, spoke candidly about this dynamic:
“Cape Town is beautiful… objectively one of the most beautiful major cities in the world. But as a Black person visiting Africa, it felt weird being the only Black person that wasn’t working.”
It’s a huge, jarring contradiction—being in Africa, yet feeling out of place as a Black person.
Johannesburg: Culture, Soul, and Black Excellence
In contrast, Johannesburg offers a very different experience. Lena was discouraged by other South Africans from visiting Johannesburg. Unfortunately, unlike Cape Town, Johannesburg isn’t known for its tourism as much as it is for its crime scene.
If you go on Reddit, you’ll see thread after thread of hopeful visitors asking about the city and getting pretty bleak advice, with many agreeing it’s “far worse than dangerous US cities like St Louis, Chicago and New Orleans” and others advising the city only be used for transit, given the airport is a major stopover point when traveling to other southern African destinations.
But when you look at the data, Cape Town is far more dangerous than Johannesburg.
In 2023, the Mexican Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice published a ranking of the 50 most violent cities in the world, according to murder rates. Cape Town came in at #12 as the most violent out of all the South African cities, while Johannesburg came in last at #34. However, Johannesburg ranks higher in terms of overall crime, particularly in property offenses.
Despite the naysayers and any potential dangers, Lena was glad she decided to listen to her gut and visit Johannesburg anyway.
“Johannesburg is for people like us,” Lena says. “I love that city so much… I didn’t feel the soul [in Cape Town] the same way I felt it in Johannesburg.”
This feeling isn’t just emotional, it’s part of the city’s structure. Johannesburg is South Africa’s economic and cultural capital. It boasts a robust and visible Black middle and upper class. In neighborhoods like Melville, Maboneng, and Rosebank, you’ll find Black-owned cafes, design studios, and co-working spaces. It’s common to see Black professionals shopping in luxury stores or leading city initiatives.
The city pulses with Afropolitan energy. Art, fashion, politics, and entrepreneurship intermingle in ways that make Black travelers feel both present and centered.
Cape Town Isn’t Monolithic, Either
That said, not everyone has a negative experience in Cape Town. Kahlis (who goes by @coming4africa on TikTok), a Black male traveler, initially hesitated to visit due to warnings from friends and online reviews.
“I had a misconception about what Cape Town was going to be just by listening to people say, ‘Oh, it's racist’…It was difficult for me to come to Cape Town because I heard so many things. And especially when it comes to my experience in Joburg, seeing like a lot of us, a lot of black people, a lot of vibes, it felt like home. It felt like a second home as soon as I went.”
But his experience was more nuanced.
“The people I’ve met [in Cape Town] so far are so nice… And it's diverse. I have colored friends. I have South African friends. I have Nigerian, Indian, like you see a lot of black people as well.”
He encourages others not to be swayed by fear-mongering. “You just gotta go see it for yourself,” he says. “Don't listen to people about coming to Johannesburg. You know, [they say], ‘It's dangerous. It's this and that.’ Crime does exist, but I tell people, if you go and you meet the people, you'll have a different perspective.”
This nuance is important. While systemic issues remain, individual experiences in Cape Town can vary widely depending on where you go, who you meet, and your openness to engaging with the city on its own terms.
The Takeaway: It’s Not Just About Race, It’s About Belonging
For Black travelers, especially from the diaspora, traveling to Africa is often a deeply personal experience. It’s about connection, identity, and sometimes healing. And part of that healing comes from being in spaces where you feel like you belong—not just legally, but socially and spiritually.
That’s why Johannesburg often resonates more. It offers a fuller spectrum of Black life: rich, messy, creative, joyful, ambitious, and unapologetically present. Cape Town, while visually stunning, may still ask Black visitors, especially those expecting cultural inclusion, to navigate exclusion, whether overt or subtle.
That’s not to say one city is objectively better than the other. But they offer radically different experiences.
So…Which Should You Visit (or Move To)?
Both!
Based on the opinions and experiences of all the featured travelers, I think the best answer is that you should visit both places if you have the opportunity. They each have something unique and positive to offer any Black traveler or expat. You just need to be mindful of what you may face as you visit either of these cities.
But if you’re looking for a more definitive answer, here’s a breakdown of how you can decide:
Choose Johannesburg if you:
Value cultural immersion and seeing Black excellence on display
Want to explore pan-African fashion, art, and music on the regular
Care about being in a city where your presence feels normalized
Are open to the hustle and bustle of a fast-paced urban center
Choose Cape Town if you:
Want scenic views, hikes, beaches, and wine tastings
Are okay navigating potentially segregated spaces
Prefer a slower, more relaxed trip or lifestyle
Have time to dig deeper and find Black-owned gems (they exist!)
Final Thoughts
This isn’t a zero-sum debate. Every Black traveler should experience both cities. Each one offers something powerful. Cape Town gives you beauty. Johannesburg gives you belonging. Both are part of South Africa’s story, but only one might feel like yours.
And if you’re thinking of relocating? Do what many others have done: spend time in both, talk to locals, and trust your instincts.
Sometimes, the best way to find your place is simply to show up and see what welcomes you in.
