Benoni Tourism Information

Quick Facts: Benoni

• Benoni is located alongside the N12 highway, east of Johannesburg in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality
• Benoni's proximity to the O.R. Tambo International Airport makes it an attractive destination for business travellers
• Benoni acts as a service hub to smaller towns in the district, such as Brakpan and Springs
• It is also the only Ekurhuleni town with a museum
• Benoni Bunny Park
• Benoni is a diverse, integrated community of Johannesburg, South Africa
• Benoni Museum
• Lakeside Shopping Mall

Distance to Airport: 17 km

Distance to City: 31 km

Introducing Benoni

The city of Benoni is located alongside the N12 highway, east of Johannesburg in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.  Its proximity to O.R. Tambo International Airport makes it an attractive destination for business travellers. Benoni acts as a service hub to smaller towns in the district, such as Brakpan and Springs. It is also the only Ekurhuleni town with a museum.

Benoni's Bunny Park will keep children entertained, and the plethora of water sports available on the lakes will keep adults equally busy.  

Established in 1881, the irregular shaped farm of Benoni was named after Rachel's son in the bible. The name means "son of sorrow" – which is what the surveyor of this odd piece of land felt when tasked with surveying it. Benoni's past is locked into the history of gold mining on the East Rand. Following the discovery of gold here in 1887, Benoni was settled by Cornish miners, who began to refer to the village as "Little Cornwall". By 1904, efforts were made by the mining company to beautify the village. Mine water was channelled into large reservoirs, which are still in existence today, serving as recreational lakes for fishing, boating and other water sports.

During the 1922 Rand Revolt, Benoni served as headquarters for the striking miners. When South Africa entered into the Apartheid era, the town of Benoni was severed along racial lines. The Black townships of Daveyton and Wattville were established on the outskirts, as well as the Indian township of Actonville. Today, this geographical segregation is a thing of the past, and Benoni has become a diverse, integrated community.

Best Kept Secret

Benoni Lane of FameSeveral famous people have come from Benoni, including Oscar winning actress Charlize Theron and former ANC president Oliver Reginald Tambo, after whom, Johannesburg Airport has been named. A visit to Benoni's Lane of Fame in the Cranbourne Centre will find hand and footprints of many famous residents and visitors preserved in concrete slabs. 91 Woburn Avenue, Cranbourne Avenue, Benoni.

Getting there

To reach Benoni from the airport, take the R21 south. At the Rietfontein Interchange, follow the N12 east. Take the R23 Tom Jones Street/Bunyan Street exit.

Benoni's suburbs

Benoni's suburbs are Actonville, Airfield, Alphen Park, Brentwood Park, Crystal Park, Cloverdene, Fairleads, Farrarmere, Lakefield, Lakeside, Mackenzie Park, Morehill, Norton Estates, Northmead, Northvilla, Rynfield, The Stewards, Wattville, Westdene and the Western Extension.