Day 2

Breakfast: The revitalized eastern edge of the Central Business District is now home to Arts on Main, a stylish shopping and gallery complex that’s lured top local artists such as multimedia icon William Kentridge, who opened studios here. Snag a table in the tree-shaded central courtyard at Canteen (breakfast for two $26) for the “Canteen breakfast,” with eggs, lamb sausage, mushrooms, and tomatoes.

Culture: The Apartheid Museum, south of the city center, is an invaluable primer on apartheid-era race divisions, as well as the 19th-century gold rush that brought prospectors from around the world. Traveling shows have included a recent cut-paper silhouette installation by New York City–based artist Kara Walker.

Lunch: Head back into town for lunch at the Melrose Arch mall location of mini-chain Tashas (lunch for two $32), Joburg’s liveliest lunch spot, and take in the scene over the thyme and white wine–infused chicken pot pie, made fresh on order and served with crisp fries.