Most people are likely to pass through Johannesburg on the way to somewhere else: the bush, the Cape, the wine country. Quite often, sensibly, those over-nighting in the city are likely to stay at one of the charmless but accommodating airport hotels, like the Intercontinental. And for good reason: The traffic in Johannesburg is ridiculously bad, and some (repeat some) areas of Johannesburg can be dangerous. Moreover the city today is frankly not all that interesting culturally or architecturally. Although a few iconic exceptions did give one pause when I first visited in 1987. The shimmering diamond-shaped stock exchange at 11 Diagonal Street stood across the street from a Zulu witchdoctor’s traditional “muti” apothecary, for example. It’s still there, by the way, also known curiously as the Museum of Man & Science. There is even a You Tube clip of it, for heavens sake, and the place looks almost unchanged from twenty years ago. But alas the stock exchange, and just about every business and up-market-thing else have de-camped from the city to the deemed-safer suburb of Sandton, which is basically one big office building-slash-shopping mall. Reminds me of Atlanta, to tell you the truth, and for that I can go to Atlanta.

So. If you do find yourself with a day to spend in Johannesburg—in the name of overcoming jet-lag if nothing else—it can be totally worthwhile and not too taxing. You’ve got a great trip either ahead of you or behind you, so you don’t want to overdo it. In our case, we were a small group of women, mostly New Yorkers, bound for safari with CC Africa and for some first-hand experience of the philanthropic work of the Africa Foundation (Related story coming.) All we really wanted from our Johannesburg sojourn was a spot of culture, a bit of shopping, and a lap of luxury to relax in.

Read about touring Soweto and who to go with.

Best shops in Johannesburg.

Best place to stay in Joburg: The Saxon.