Gay Johannesburg: our complete travel guide for LGBTQ travelers

Ratz is a super cute gay bar in Johannesburg located in Melville. As one of the oldest gay bars in the city, it is legendary in its own right. It has a strong 1980s theme, which was right up our alley. From the classic rock ballads to Whitney and Madonna's super hits, we were in heaven here! Look out for their daily themed special cocktail – always a delight. Overall, a great little gay bar for pre-drinks before heading to dance the hours away in Jozi.

Liquid Blue is another gay bar located along 7th Street, just down the road from Ratz. Officially, Liquid Blue is not a gay bar, but it's become so prominent in the LGBTQ community that it's established itself firmly in the heart and soul of the gay scene of Johannesburg, particularly among the POC LGBT community. Thursdays get pretty busy here with students and young guys. On weekends you'll want to get here early, before 11pm, otherwise, it's a long queue for entry!

Beefcakes is the iconic gay resto/bar of South Africa. There's one in Cape Town's De Waterkant and one here in Illovo. Handsome topless beefy waiters welcome you and flirt(!) with you as you head to your table, grab a burger, drinks, and enjoy the show of hot exotic dancers and hilarious drag queens leading events like “Flamingo Bingo”. The only downside is that Beefcakes is heavily marketed to hen and bachelorette parties, so be prepared to be a minority in a sea of cackling drunk Sharons and Karens…

The advantage of basing yourself in Boksburg (a suburb in East Johannesburg) is that you're very close to the Tambo international airport as well as to the People Like Us Pub. The only downside is that it is far from everything else – around a 30/45 minute cab ride from Melville/Illovo, and central downtown Joburg. PLU is a very fun and intimate gay bar. It's buzzing without feeling hectic. The crowd is mixed – everyone is welcome regardless of gender or color.

Kitchener's is proud of its title as “Johannesburg's second oldest bar”. For us, it's become synonymous with the gay community thanks to its themed parties, the most popular being the monthly “Pussy Party”. One for the ladies, but thanks to nights like this, Kitchener's has established itself as being a very queer-friendly space. Wednesday nights are popular with students when they enter for free. Weekends are driven towards a predominantly adult audience with a strict “no guys under 23” policy!

Great Dane is a friendly neighborhood dive bar close to the Playground Market (which is a great spot for brunch). It's not a gay bar, but on Saturday afternoons it has historically attracted a large LGBTQ crowd, which has over time given the bar the affable nickname of the “Gay Dane”! And it's fun. Really fun! We felt so welcome and quickly made friends with the locals. Later in the evening hip-hop, rap, R&B, and modern EDM/House music take over.

Boys boys boys… and their chasers will wanna be heading out to Babylon. This is Joburg's most popular gay bar with the kids (particularly the white LGBTQ community). As you enter, trendy, chic, and playful is the theme! Flat-screen TVs play what they describe to be “Babylon’s signature mix of naughty imagery!” We'll leave you to discover what that entails… Drag shows and exotic dancers in abundance here, overall a fun gay night out in Jozi.

Therapy is one of the most exciting gay parties happening every few weeks at various different locations across Johannesburg, mainly in Rosebank. Therapy parties are a pretty big deal when they happen, usually attracting a celeb or two. Themed nights in the past have included “Dirty Twist”, “Urban Angels Party”, and “Hot XXX Buns”. In terms of music, DJs focus on underground house and dance music, with a few pop classics thrown in for people like me and Seby. Check their FB page for details of the next party.

The Gay Club SA is the flagship gay hangout over in Boksburg, where you can also find the People Like Us Pub. Pop camp rules the school here with a glorious mix of everyone under the LGBTQIA umbrella gathering every weekend to drink and dance. Cocktails are also a treat here, with a special themed one to try out each night. A heads up from us – as far as gay clubs go though be warned that Gay Club is only open until midnight.

Located around 10/15 minutes drive south of Melville and Illovo, The Third Place is a popular choice for a gay night out in Johannesburg, especially for gays in their 20s. It's quite hard to find it both online and offline though! It's hidden down a cobbled backstreet on the edge of Newtown with absolutely no signage. Took us 3 attempts and several friendly taxi drivers to find it. Online there's no social media or website – just a bare GoogleMap listing. So you'll just have to trust us!

The Tennis Club is a cool venue in the Ellis Park Indoor Arena Complex. It's not a gay club but attracts a large queer crowd, and when we say queer crowd, we mean the in-your-face crop-top wearing tight shorts crowd! They sometimes host gay nights such as a Drag Ball, which are not to be missed! Check their website and FB page for full details of the next event.

Johannesburg Pride is not only the country's largest gay Pride event but the biggest on the entire African continent! It takes place during the official South African Pride Month in October to honor the first South African pride parade, which was held on 13 October 1990 at a time when the Apartheid era was coming to a welcome end. It's so important that it's earned the rightful nickname of “The Pride of Africa”. For the latest info check out the Johannesburg Pride Facebook page.

Whilst not a gay event, the Rocking the Daisies music festival is like the South African version of Coachella. It attracts a large queer crowd who come to soak up the festival atmosphere. It takes place over 4 days in early/mid-October. They attract a range of prominent local acts to perform here each year along with some international names like Clean Bandit.

TTK Carbon was our #1 best meal in all of South Africa. It's one of Joburg's highly-rated restaurants (for good reason). The taster menu was really well thought out with a choice of wine pairing or “tea pairing” which was novel for us. But the food here? Absolutely fantastic. I loathe foie gras at the best of times, but their starter foie gras was just divine. Every dish we were served was so well cooked, it was a treat to see what the next one would be.

Have you ever tried Ethiopian food before? Neither had we. We came with zero expectations and were blown away. Similar to a Nepalese dal bhat, meals are served in a tray that contains small plates of different vegetarian and/or meat dishes, each served with the iconic injera (Ethiopian sourdough pancakes) to soak it all up. It's delicious! And what a place to try it – this unassuming cafe is located in the heart of the city. Nothing fancy about it, very local with an exciting vibe.

Marble restaurant celebrates the quintessential South African tradition of cooking on a fire. Or as they put it, “not just a plate of food, but a theatre of experience”…a phrase I'm going to borrow in my everyday vernacular! Everything is cooked on coal: meat, fish, poultry, vegetables, and bread. It's super tasty. Marble is also renowned for its views over Joburg – it's located in Rosebank on a hill, which makes it a top spot to show off on your Grindr date!

Ms. Tina got nothing on us. She be hitting up this joint with a few beers and a steak! Proud Mary is another gem in Rosebank, so super handy if you're based here for your trip. It's vegan friendly (a rarity in South Africa which is very meat-heavy in its cuisine), but just as famous for its steaks – from tomahawk to wagyu beef. Cocktails are also tasty here and the staff are super welcoming, which creates a really warm vibe. Oh and the space? It's big – no claustrophobia issues here!

Signature is located in the suburb of Morningside in northern Joburg. It's a little far out, but very leafy/residential, and safe. Signature is one of the most highly-rated restaurants in the area. It's famous for its views, food, and wine. Each plate is show-stopping – a melody to the palate! They specialize in fine dining, with a range of sushi, seafood, fish, and signature dishes like Ostrich Fillet, Beef Tornado, and Paradise Fillet. A few excellent vegetarian options are also on offer.

Do not leave South Africa without getting yourself a custom-made jacket (or kimono) from the affable Sebo of Caraci Clothing. The entire experience involves meeting Sebo (a Joburg born/bred gay local) who takes you to the market to search for and select your fabric.

He takes you back to his tailoring shop to show you how a jacket is made from this material, giving you the chance to try out a bit for yourself. Then later in the day, he presents you with your own custom-made jacket (kimono also an option) which is the best souvenir you can take back home with you!

Constitution Hill is a former military fort-turned-prison that's most famous for having incarcerated people like Nelson Mandela, and Mahatma Gandhi. Today it's a fantastic museum, also home to the country's Constitutional Court.

They have daily tours taking you through the complex, explaining its fascinating history. It's quite an emotional experience. They also host different exhibitions and events throughout the year, in particular for Pride Month in October.

The Apartheid Museum is one of those harrowing but super important places everyone needs to visit. It opened back in 2001 telling the story of the rise and fall of apartheid, which turned 20 million South Africans into 2nd class citizens when it was implemented in 1948.

The museum itself is also a work of art – famous for its unique architectural design. We recommend booking one of the 3-hour guided tours of the Apartheid Museum to get the most out of your visit, which includes hotel pickup/drop off.

Whilst the prospect of waking up at 4am wasn't the most welcome thing on our vacation, the adrenaline of taking a sunrise helicopter ride over Johannesburg took over! We did our helicopter ride with Capitalair SA which specializes in both chartered, corporate, and tourism helicopter tours.

After a safety briefing, we had lift off just before the sun broke out. We flew around the big city for around 45 minutes, even spotting a few elephants in the nearby National Park, all with the backdrop of the sunrise. It was an incredible experience, one that we will never forget!

Townships are a sad reminder of the Apartheid era. Black people were separated into these mini-cities called “townships” and kept away from the city centers. Townships were often neglected by the authorities and therefore were ridden with violence and poverty.

The Soweto Township is where Nelson Mandela lived. Whilst visiting a township today is still a big risk for tourists, doing it as part of a Soweto township guided tour is absolutely fine and highly recommended: locals in the Soweto Township are used to tourists and tour groups visiting Mandela's house.

What was once a run-down neighborhood, the Maboneng Precinct has over the past few decades undergone a massive renovation to become one of the most remarkable areas of Joburg. Maboneng itself translates to “place of light”. Today it's alive with cool art galleries, hotels, restaurants, cafes, and nightlife.

It's often nicknamed ‘the Brooklyn of Joburg'. We loved visiting the weekly Market on Main, which is Joburg's leading food and design market. It's also rewarding to just wander around, get lost in the area, taking in the vibe…but remember, valuables out of sight!

No trip to South Africa is complete without a safari. Most tourists will most likely head to Cape Town and also factor in a 2/3 day safari as part of their South Africa itinerary. If you're just staying in Joburg, we recommend checking out Pilanesberg National Park for a safari.

We visited it for a few nights and enjoyed several safaris here, but it's also possible to do a safari as part of a day trip from Johannesburg. The big draw with any safari is to aim to spot ‘The Big Five', which are lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffaloes.