My dad, Tenney, and his longtime partner, Debbie, visited Joburg from America a couple of weeks ago. Dad hadn’t been here since 2013 and Debbie had never been, so I was excited for their visit. But this trip required special planning. Dad is 82, with mobility issues, Debbie is in her early 70s, and Joburg (all of South Africa, in fact) can be tricky to navigate for older people — or even younger people.

Dad and Debbie show off the fabrics they chose during their Caraci fashion experience (more on this later).

I spent quite a bit of time thinking about what kinds of experiences would work best for Dad and Debbie, then re-adjusting our plans as we went along. It felt a little stressful as it was happening, at least for me — a worrier who feels personally responsible for everyone’s safety and good time. But when I looked back at all we did, I realized we had a great time and did such a wide array of activities. I thought I’d provide this summary as a guide for others.

Background: Dad and Debbie were together in Joburg for five nights, after which Debbie jetted off to do a safari on her own. Dad stayed in Joburg for another three nights, and then the three of us reconvened in Cape Town for four nights. (I won’t be covering Cape Town in this post.)

Joburg for Older People: Where They Stayed

Due to the continuing renovations at our house in Brixton, as well as the protracted water crisis (which is finally waning, thank God), Dad and Debbie didn’t stay with us. They booked at Pablo House, a boutique hotel just up the road in Melville, and it worked perfectly. The staff at Pablo House are super nice and accommodating, there is a great restaurant on-site, and the views from Pablo House are among the best in the city. Older people and those with mobility issues should book Suites 1-3, which are on the ground floor and don’t require climbing stairs.

The corridor outside Suite 3 at Pablo House. Dad loved sitting on this sofa and looking out at the trees. Apologies: I was really off my photography game during this visit and I’m missing pictures of several important things, like the amazing view and Dad and Debbie’s actual room. Alas.

The Pablo House lobby is always filled with local art. The exhibitions change regularly.

Note that Pablo House is at the top of a steep hill and not walkable to the rest of Melville. Also, parking at the hotel is extremely limited so it’s best to use Uber while staying there.

What We Did in Joburg

Dad and Debbie were mostly up for anything I suggested, but they had a couple of specific requests. Debbie had read about Caraci Clothing on my blog, so Sebo’s Caraci Experience was a must for her. She also wanted to see some architecture by Thorsten Deckler of Blogitects fame. Dad wanted to visit the Apartheid Museum and see live music.

We managed to achieve all those goals and a lot more. Here’s a run-down:

1) Melville Art Mile

As luck would have it, Dad and Debbie arrived on the first Thursday of the month. So Thorsten and I took them to the Melville Art Mile, which happens on every first Thursday evening. Obviously we couldn’t walk the whole Art Mile, but we explored several fun exhibitions in the Joburg Artist Market, a.k.a. 27 Boxes. Highlights included the incredibly quirky Titanic Museum and Indoni Arts, an exhibition space hidden at the back of the market, where we met several wonderful artists and witnessed a stunning African music and dance performance. I have almost no pictures but we were all mesmerized.

DHorn, a gifted singer and trumpet player, performs at Indoni Arts. (I didn’t get the name of the guitar player.) This was an incredible performance. (Photo: Tenney Mason)

We had a delicious Portuguese dinner that night at an old favorite of mine, Reserved Café. It was a crowd-pleaser and I’ll definitely take my out-of-town guests there again.

Delicious smoked chorizo from Reserved.

2) Caraci Experience

We met up with Sebo on the first full day of Dad and Debbie’s visit, and we did the whole Caraci Experience itinerary: Visiting Sebo’s fashion studio, taking measurements, and going to the fabric shop to pick out fabrics for the clothes Dad and Debbie were having made. Debbie had a quick sewing lesson while Dad napped on the studio couch.

All of us in Sebo’s studio. (Photo by Musa, Sebo’s tailor)

Sebo’s experience was magical, as always, and perfect because it didn’t require too much walking. (Sebo drove us to and from the fabric shop.) Dad had two shirts made, Debbie had two skirts made, and Dad bought a Caraci bucket hat that he hardly took off for the rest of the trip. (He’s wearing it above.)

3) Rand Club

We visited Rand Club twice: Once after the Caraci Experience (the Club is one block from Sebo’s studio) and once with Dad after Debbie had left. It was a big hit both times — the Club’s history and grand architecture are awe-inspiring for first-time visitors.

Dad in the Rand Club library. (There was another tour happening while we were there.)

Tip: I can visit Rand Club any time because I’m a member. The restaurant is open to the public. But if you’re not a member and want to see the whole building, learn about the history, etc., Rand Club is now offering twice-weekly public tours.

4) Olives & Plates

While visiting a student residence that Thorsten’s architecture firm designed on the Wits University Campus, we went for lunch at Olives & Plates, which I blogged about recently. Olives & Plates is the perfect lunch destination on a warm, sunny Saturday — with older people or anyone else. The menu is extensive and will please all palettes, the outdoor seating is incredibly pretty, and the vibes are top-notch, with a diverse array of South Africans celebrating various special occasions (birthdays, engagements, etc.) Plus, there’s cake. Highly recommend.

A serviette sketch Thorsten made of Dad and me at Olives & Plates.

The real father and daughter in our matching Caraci hats.

5) Meat Meet, Soweto

We wanted to take Dad and Debbie to Soweto, but a full-on Soweto tour felt like too much. Luckily Nandipha, Thorsten’s office manager, offered to take us to Meat Meet — a popular shisa nyama joint in Orlando East. Shisa nyama, which means “burnt meat” in Zulu, is the South African term for a place where you order meat uncooked from an on-site butchery and get it grilled on the spot.

We ordered an Uber van and headed to Meat Meet at midday on a Sunday, when the restaurant was vibey but not too loud.

Thorsten, Nandipha, me, Debbie, and Dad with our pile of meat (with pap and chakalaka) at Meat Meet. We ordered a combination of steak, lamb chops, boerewors (sausage), chicken wings, and cow’s liver.

Dad is a real meat enthusiast so he loved eating at Meat Meet — I think he said it was his favorite meal of the week — and everyone else enjoyed it too. We sat outside with a great view of the passersby and all the BMWs and Volkswagens at the carwash across the street. It was a perfect Soweto afternoon.

6) Tyrone Avenue, Parkview

Tyrone Avenue in Parkview is an ideal Joburg shopping street, more compact than the other neighborhood high streets in Melville, Parkhurst, and Linden. I took Dad and Debbie there to visit Art Africa, a gift shop that feels almost like an art museum, and the Makery Collection, one of my favorite jewelry stores. They bought lots of fun souvenirs and it was one of our most enjoyable outings.

Dad and Debbie under the vintage African barbershop signs in Art Africa.

7) Rosebank Galleries

Dad and Debbie love art, so I drove them to the Keys Art Mile in Rosebank and we visited Everard Read and CIRCA Gallery. Both were slam-dunks.

Dad and I with my favorite Bronwen Findlay mosaic at Everard Read.

It’s a bit of a walk up this circular passageway at CIRCA, but Dad managed it fine — we just went slowly. 

This spectacular sculpture by artist Mary Sibande was worth the walk-up.

8) Museum of Illusions

I’d been hearing great things about the Museum of Illusions, which is hidden in a deserted corner on the first floor of the Zone in Rosebank Mall. It suddenly occurred to me one evening that this would be the perfect place to go with Dad. And I was right — he LOVED it. It’s hard to explain what the Museum of Illusions is, exactly, but the photos speak for themselves.

Dad’s cane was a good prop at the Museum of Illusions.

This museum is a fun way to pass the time for an hour or two, and it’s also a good excuse to check out the vibes at Rosebank Mall. To find the Museum of Illusions: Park at the Zone underground parking garage, go up the escalator, and then ask someone for directions from there.

9) Apartheid Museum

Dad visited the Apartheid Museum during his previous visit in 2013 and wanted to go again. I’m glad I went with him — it’s the most popular tourist attraction in Joburg but I hadn’t been there in more than a decade.

Heading into the Apartheid Museum on a rainy morning.

If I have one piece of advice for visiting the Apartheid Museum with older people, it’s this: Don’t try to see everything. The museum is huge, stuffed full of fascinating, heart-wrenching information, and doing it all at once is not physically or emotionally feasible. I also find it confusing to navigate. We made it through about half of the exhibits, which was more than enough for Dad, and headed home.

Dad is a retired photographer and he loved the Ernest Cole exhibit, which is around the museum’s halfway mark. We started to make our way out at that point…We got lost, so it took a while.

Tip: Pensioners get R50 off on admission to the Apartheid Museum. (The full ticket price is R170, or about $10, which I think is very reasonable.) Don’t forget to bring your I.D. if you’re over 60.

10) Wednesday Jazz at Six Cocktail Bar

Dad wanted to see live music, so I took him to Six Cocktail Bar in Melville for their weekly Wednesday jazz night. I had been meaning to do this myself for a long time — it was really fun and there is no cover charge for the jazz. There were four musicians playing, one of whom was the brilliant pianist Yonela Mnana.

The live music started a bit late — around 8:40 p.m. instead of 8:00 p.m. — so don’t be a chump and get there early, like we did. For some ridiculous reason, I did not take a single photograph of the jazz at Six.

Final Tips

A few final tips for touring Joburg with older people:

• Be flexible and don’t try to do too much each day. There are very few activities or restaurants in Joburg that need to be booked far in advance. Also, Joburg is a great place to relax at home.
• Check Johannesburg In Your Pocket for announcements about special shows/events/festivals, etc. There is always something interesting happening.
• Book a hotel/guesthouse with a restaurant, so you don’t have to plan every meal. We loved eating at Pablo House. (Be warned — it’s pricey by South African standards.)
• Lots of places in Joburg, especially restaurants, close early on Sundays and are closed completely on Mondays. Plan your visit accordingly.
• If you’re going somewhere that has potential parking limitations, or where you might have to park far away, use Uber.
• South Africans are nice and they tend to have great respect for older people. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and expect to receive great kindness in return.

Dad high-fiving the mining statue man, who had just broken character after Dad tipped him, in the Zone at Rosebank. Not a perfect picture but it’s one of my favorites.

If you have more questions about traveling with older people in Joburg, please ask away.