Quick Facts: Kempton Park
- Kempton Park is the closest city to the OR Tambo International Airport
- Kempton Park falls within the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, north east of Johannesburg and south of Pretoria
- Industrial area known as Spartan
- Large coal power plant: the Kelvin Power Station
- AECI Dynamite Factory Museum
- Bell Tower Church
- Emperors Palace / Entertainment Centre & Casino
- Erikson Diamond Centre
- Festival Mall
- Madiba Freedom Museum
Distance to Airport: 2 km
Distance to City: 34 km
Introducing Kempton Park
The closest city to OR Tambo International Airport, Kempton Park falls within the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, north east of Johannesburg and south of Pretoria. The city has several quiet suburbs, an impressive industrial area known as Spartan and a large coal power plant called the Kelvin Power Station. Its biggest draw card for visitors, however, is Emperors Palace, home to an extravagant casino and top class hotels. Falling in the middle of such a big city axis, it is not surprising that Kempton Park's history is as closely tied to transportation as it is.
After the discovery of gold on the East Rand, it became necessary to establish a direct rail link between Pretoria and the Vaal River that would bypass Johannesburg on the east. This line passed directly through Zuurfontein farm. With the establishment of a dynamite factory in nearby Modderfontein, Zuurfontein station became even more crucial.
Tracks were built connecting the two areas to transport machinery, raw material and people. It was German Carl Friedrich Wolff who negotiated the sale of Zuurfontein farm to the dynamite factory. During the negotiations, a portion of the farm was quietly omitted from the sale – a piece of land which by 1896 became the property of Wolff. In 1903, the township of Kempte Park was established here, named after Wolff's hometown of Kempten. Later this would be anglicised into Kempton Park.
Best Kept Secret: Kempton Park
Swartspruit Recreational Area
A lovely spot for a picnic or barbeque alongside a large dam. Excellent bird watching.
Getting there
To reach Kempton Park from the airport, take the R21 to Boksburg and follow the first exit at Voortrekker Road, where you will take an immediate left at the traffic lights.