The Ultimate Joburg City Tour With DiDi

Joburg city is such a beautiful place. It has some of the most wonderful hangouts, boutique stores, and entertainment venues in the province. And we thought, hey with DiDi entering the local ride-hailing arena, we might as well go and explore town without having to worry about driving ourselves from A to B. After downloading the DiDi-Rider app from Google Play or the App Store, first-time users are prompted to create an account. The usual details are asked for: cellphone number, email address, and password – simple enough! And as soon as you're all set up, let's get going! So, without further ado, put on your favourite walking and party shoes and let's go on an adventure, shall we?

Braamfontein

Braamfontein is one of Joburg's most eclectic and fast-paced suburbs. New fashion trends spring up daily thanks to the area's entrenched youth culture. If you're not one to follow the crowd when it comes to expressing yourself through fashion, then this is the shopping district for you. Let's check out Braam's best retail precincts and clothing stores to get you started on your journey.

A Little Bit Of Retail Therapy

Braamfontein is quite unlike any other shopping destination in the city. There few malls and shopping centres here, but rather a collection of independent fashion stores, curio shops and artisanal markets. Braam is the ultimate shopping hub for fashion fundis, collectors and organic food lovers. 70 Juta Street is one of the area's top retail precincts. Here, you will find an ever-expanding number of pop-up shops and local fashion boutiques. If you're not one to follow the crowd, this is the place to do your fashion buying. The Neighbourgoods Market is also a favourite for farm-fresh goods and handmade crafts. Overall, Braamfontein offers a truly unique shopping experience well worth exploring. [caption id="attachment_114152" align="aligncenter" width="660"] 70 Juta Street. Photo credit: Max Marx.[/caption]

Newtown

When you think of Joburg nightlife what do you imagine? Jazzy, vibrant Newtown comes immediately to mind for us. This historic suburb has tons to offer entertainment seekers. For both local city slickers and tourists, Newtown is a never-ending hive of excitement. If you’ve never explored this side of town before, make sure to get out to Newtown as soon as you can.

Jamming And Jiving Out

Newtown is undeniably one of Joburg's key entertainment hubs. During the daytime, Newtown plays host to families looking to indulge in fun and edutainment at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre. Those in search of history and culture can be found at the Museum Africa building. After dark, Newtown becomes the official jazz town of Johannesburg. Soak up some of that unique Newtown vibe at the Market Theatre – one of the city's premier live performance venues. There are also a number of clubs and jazz bars in the area, so you can dance the night away as they did in the good old days. [caption id="attachment_135675" align="alignnone" width="660"] Note: Prices indicated are for demonstration purposes only.[/caption]

Maboneng

Visiting the inner city is quite exciting, especially when you know you'll be dining there. With that in mind, we thought it'd be a great idea to visit (almost) all the restaurants in Maboneng.

Dining Out In Jozi

One can't simply visit the City Of Gold and not sample some of its cuisines! Laced with restaurants and cafés exploring both local and international cuisine, you are sure to find many restaurants that live up to your palate's expectations. From award-winning curries to pizza and popcorn, Maboneng is a foodie's dream come true. Thanks to the number of hotels and hostels in the neighbourhood, the food services in Maboneng march to the beat of its very funky drum. [caption id="attachment_135674" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Note: Prices indicated are for demonstration purposes only.[/caption]

The DiDi Difference

Much like its competitors, DiDi accepts cash or card payments – bank cards can be loaded straight to the app making payment seamless once the ride has been completed. The app provides an estimated price for each trip before the ride is booked. There are two ride options to choose from Standard or Go, with Go being the more affordable option. The question remains. Why should you use DiDi instead of the other guys? Well, DiDi is:

Packed With Rewards

Offering discounted rides to new users with provided unique user codes that can be shared with friends as well. Once a friend uses your unique code, you will be awarded a credit amount to use on your next ride. DiDi also offers a tiered rewards program that can save riders up to 50% (capped at R50) off their rides. The more you travel with DiDi, the more you save. Terms and conditions apply, of course.

Affordable

DiDi is committed to creating the freedom and convenience to take you places, open up horizons and give Joburgers access to new experiences and opportunities through their platform. DiDi provides access to convenient and accessible mobility opportunities with safety, technology, and customer support underpinning everything they do. They put affordable fares, quick and reliable service and safety first, making sure that you get to your destination in no time. With more and more drivers joining the app, DiDi is growing in size, offering you quicker pick-up no matter where you are in Gauteng.

Fast & Reliable

To ensure all trips connected through DiDi are of the highest quality, all driver-partners are required to pass a series of safety verifications and background checks prior to start driving. DiDi enforces all local government regulations. All drivers must pass numerous document verifications and the required background checks including being accredited to drive in the state they are driving in. There are limitations in the DiDi app to how many hours a driver can be driving to combat driver fatigue. All vehicles must not exceed the set age of the state they are driving in and must pass an initial inspection and their yearly check-ups. DiDi prides itself on its innovative safety features to benefit users and driving partners, some of which are a first in South Africa. Features include facial recognition for drivers, SOS buttons for riders and drivers linked to the local police, 24/7 support via a dedicated safety hotline, preview information for riders and drivers, and safety training for drivers, among others.