Gandhi Square

Johannesburg

LoginSave

in 2002 Van der Bijl Sq was revamped and renamed Gandhi Sq in honour of Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi. Look out for the bronze statue representing him as a young lawyer, gown flowing in the wind like a superhero. Gandhi Sq is home to several historic buildings including the recently renovated Somerset House, now a bar and events venue.

Gandhi first came to South Africa in 1893 to work as a lawyer. He lived on and off in Johannesburg from 1903 to 1914, including at what is now Satyagraha House. Parking at Gandhi Square can be tricky, especially during the week. The best way to visit the square is via the Red Bus.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • June 16 Memorial Acre

    June 16 Memorial Acre

    10.9 MILES

    Opposite one of the schools from which students marched on 16 June 1976 is this stunning open-air memorial to the bloody events that presaged the Soweto…

  • Constitutional Court on Constitution Hill.

    Constitution Hill

    1.18 MILES

    Do not leave Jo'burg without visiting Constitution Hill. One of South Africa's most important historical sites, the deeply moving and inspirational…

  • 28 OCT 2017: the District Six Museum, a museum in memory of apartheid, located in Cape Town. 788479459 segregation, white, black, memorial, history, labor, slavery, forced movement, apartheid, district six, six, district, building, collection, exhibition, exhibit, art, museum, landmark, tourism, travel, cape town, capetown, architecture, african, africa, south african, south africa, sa, editorial

    Apartheid Museum

    3.05 MILES

    The Apartheid Museum illustrates the rise and fall of South Africa’s era of segregation and oppression, and is an absolute must-see. It uses a broad…

  • Sterkfontein Caves in South Africa.

    Sterkfontein Caves

    23.29 MILES

    One of the most significant archaeological sites in the world, Sterkfontein Caves include a permanent hominid exhibit and a walkway down into the…

  • Exterior of the Hector Pieterson Memorial Museum in Soweto.

    Hector Pieterson Museum

    8.63 MILES

    This powerful museum, named after the 12-year-old boy shot dead during the student protests in Soweto on 16 June 1976, illuminates the role of Sowetan…

  • Maropeng

    Maropeng

    28.25 MILES

    Partly housed in a building that looks like a giant grassy mound on one side and shiny modern steel on the other, Maropeng is an all-in-one information…

  • Constitutional Court

    Constitutional Court

    1.26 MILES

    Inaugurated in 2004, with its design based on the African concept of 'justice under a tree', the Constitutional Court is a very real symbol of modern…

  • Liliesleaf Farm

    Liliesleaf Farm

    11.22 MILES

    A highlight of Jo'burg's northern suburbs is Liliesleaf Farm. This was the secret headquarters of the ANC (African National Congress) from 1961 until a…

View more attractions

Nearby Johannesburg attractions

1. Thunder Walker

0.04 MILES

Inside century-old Somerset House, a former bank office, Thunder Walker is a bar/restaurant/events venue with a historic twist. The building's interior is…

2. Rand Club

0.14 MILES

Founded in 1887, this version of the illustrious (and once whites- and men-only) club dates from 1904. It's now open to all, and so long as you're not…

3. Rissik Street Post Office

0.18 MILES

One of Jozi's most noteworthy heritage buildings is this grand post office dating from 1897. It sat empty and dilapidated for years and was gutted by fire…

4. Johannesburg City Hall

0.2 MILES

This fine late-Edwardian building received a welcome renovation in 2012. Designed by William Hawke and William McKinlay in a mixture of neo-classical and…

5. Top of Africa

0.21 MILES

The Carlton Centre (223m) has been Africa's tallest building since 1973. The basement shelters a buzzing shopping mall. For awesome city vistas, head to…

6. Standard Bank Art Gallery

0.25 MILES

If you're in this part of town it's worth dropping by this light-filled gallery to see what's showing in its regularly changing exhibitions by important…

7. Workhorse Bronze Foundry

0.26 MILES

The Workhorse Bronze Foundry, based in a former factory in the gritty centre of downtown Jo'burg, is where many of South Africa's top sculptors create…

8. Main St Pedestrian Mall

0.3 MILES

Honouring Jo'burg's history of mining are a series of information panels, statues and artifacts lining the partly pedestrianised mall at the western end…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "south-africa/gauteng/johannesburg/attractions/gandhi-square/a/poi-sig/1510402/355617",
  "destination": "Johannesburg",
  "continent": "Africa",
  "country": "South-Africa",
  "city": "Johannesburg",
  "position": "superzone"
}