Carletonville

Introduction

Carletonville is a town in Gauteng and the seat of the Merafong City Local Municipality, within the West Rand District Municipality. It sits just north of the richest gold-mining area in the world, and its identity is bound up with that industry.

If you come for the mines, the headline sight is Western Deep Levels, which at 3,749 m holds the record for the world's deepest gold mine.

Getting around

Carletonville and the neighbouring town of Oberholzer form one continuous built-up area, so moving between the two is simply a matter of crossing within the same city rather than travelling to a separate place. Walkability is reasonable for short errands in the central town area, but the wider settlement is spread out, and the privately owned mine villages — Blyvooruitzicht, Western Deep and Elandsrand to the south of the R501, Doornfontein and Deelkraal to the west and south-west, and East Village at East Driefontein to the east — are physically separate from the town. Walking between the town centre and these outlying villages is not practical; plan on using a vehicle or local transport instead. Since the town serves as the main shopping centre for the mine village townships, and the mines themselves only run tuck shops for basic necessities, expect to come into town for anything beyond the basics.

There is no documented passenger rail, metro or tram network serving Carletonville, so plan around road-based transport. Intercity buses operated by Intercape Megaliner are the most clearly documented public transport option, connecting the town with Johannesburg, Cape Town, Kimberley, Bloemfontein, Mthatha, Welkom, Kuruman, East London, Port Elizabeth, King William's Town, Queenstown, George, Butterworth, Idutywa, Cofimvaba, Bellville and Durban. There are three bus stops in Carletonville — at 30 Kruis St in Fochville, the Total Garage on Osmium St, and the Caltex Garage on Annan Rd — so confirm which one your service uses. Departures are not frequent on every route, with some connections running only once a day, so book ahead through the operator or a bus-booking platform. No airport serves Carletonville directly and no dedicated airport transfer is described; the practical approach is to fly into a major airport and connect onward by intercity coach, including via Johannesburg.

Three days in Carletonville

Day one begins in Carletonville itself, the town at the centre of Gauteng's gold-mining country in Merafong City Local Municipality, within the West Rand District Municipality. Start by getting a feel for the place on foot, since walkability varies across the area and some stretches are easier on foot than others. The town sits among the mines that define the region, including Western Deep Levels and Western Deep, and the nearby settlement of Oberholzer makes a natural first stop for a sense of local life.

Day two takes you out among the surrounding mining settlements. Blyvooruitzicht, Elandsrand, Doornfontein, Deelkraal, East Village and East Driefontein all lie within the area, each with its own character as a place shaped by the industry around it. Walking between parts of these settlements gives you a closer look at how the landscape and the mines sit together, though you should plan your routes with care.

Day three is for moving on or settling in. Intercity coaches such as the Intercape Megaliner connect Carletonville with Johannesburg and with destinations further afield, among them Cape Town, Kimberley, Bloemfontein, Mthatha, Welkom, Kuruman, East London, Port Elizabeth, King William's Town, Queenstown, George, Butterworth, Idutywa, Cofimcaba, Bellville, Durban and Kruis St. If you are staying, use the day to revisit whichever part of the area appealed to you most.