Gold Reef City
A theme park built on a real gold mine beside the Apartheid Museum — rollercoasters, a mine shaft, and a casino.
Trip Role
Ideal stay
Best for
Our take
A theme park with one real thing — the mine shaft — bolted next to the Apartheid Museum. Pair them; otherwise skip.
A theme park with one real thing — the mine shaft — bolted next to the Apartheid Museum. Pair them; otherwise skip.
- Trip Role
- Worth a Detour
- Ideal Stay
- Half a day if paired with the Apartheid Museum
- Best For
- Families with kids, adults doing the mine tour + Apartheid Museum combo.
- Skip If
- Travellers seeking history without the theme-park overlay.
- Go If
- You have kids who need rides, or you want the underground mine tour paired with the Apartheid Museum next door.
- Worth Extra Drive
- 0 min
Why it's worth your time
A theme park and casino built around a real former gold mine, minutes from the Apartheid Museum. The honest division: for kids it's a theme park with rollercoasters and a genuine underground mine shaft tour (the real, non-theme-park part); for adults it's a casino with a historical exhibit attached. The mine-shaft descent is the worthwhile thing — the rest is rides. Combine with the Apartheid Museum next door, which shares the site, for a coherent Joburg day.
What we love
The real underground mine shaft descent — the one authentic thing in a theme park.
What to know
The Apartheid Museum is on the same property; book both and make a day of it. The mine tour has age/health limits.
Last reviewed