Johannesburg West

The suburbs of Westdene, Melville, Brixton, Westbury and Mayfair, which make up this region of Johannesburg, are mostly comprised of numerous small properties, many of which were built in the early 1920s and some that date back to the late 19th century. The region is bounded in the north by the Melville Koppies Nature Reserve, a World Heritage site estimated to be close to 3 billion years old. This impressive nature reserve protects a large area of highveld bush and contains the archaeological remains of Iron and Stone Age settlements, including ancient iron furnaces. Melville itself has become a trendy suburb dotted with popular cafés, second hand book shops, antique and up-market shops. Property in this area and in Westdene and Melville in particular is much sought after, and is a good investment area.

There are plenty of wide open spaces in the region including the Westdene Park and Dam and a number of sports fields. The campus of the Rand Afrikaans University lies right in the heart of the region, which is well endowed with medical facilities and both government and private schools. Much of the property in the region is rented to students at the university, something to keep in mind if looking for investment property. The N1 highway lies five minutes’ drive to the west and the M1 and M2 are just five minutes to the east.