|
Benoni is a city on the East Rand in the South African province of Gauteng.
Since 2000 it has been part of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality.
Benoni is very diverse, with people of every colour and denomination. There
are over ten schools in Benoni and in some areas there is a concentration of
up to 6000 students within a 5km radius.
Over time gold mining has decreased in importance. Today the town is focused
more on industry and services, rather than mining, and is used as a service
hub for other East Rand towns such as Brakpan, Nigel and Springs. Benoni is
also the site of the Benoni Heliport, for the use of helicopters.
Visitors to the town may visit the local museum, the many lakes, the Lakeside
Shopping Mall (built in the shape of a Mississippi Steamboat on one of the lakes)
or Northmead Square (known as the first shopping centre to bring cinemas back to
Benoni) located in the suburbs. Near to Northmead Square is the Bunny Park which
contains hundreds of rabbits and other small animals and is aimed at children.
Willowmoore Park is a provincial and One Day International Cricket venue. Sibikwa,
an international recognised and acclaimed communitytheatre, is situated in the
east of the town since 1989
It is believed that Benoni has more horse stables per square kilometre than any
other place in the Southern Hemisphere.
During the 1990s Benoni was the site for the WOMAD Festival (the World of Music,
Arts and Dance), an international cultural festival held annually around the world
and used to showcase various artists
| 
