You can also hop on the super-fast, hassle-free Gautrain at OR Tambo International Airport, which will whisk you off to Sandton, Johannesburg’s upmarket business and shopping hub; downtown to Park Station, where you can catch the open-top tourist bus; or to Pretoria, administrative capital of South Africa.

At the much smaller domestic Rand Airport in Germiston there’s a fascinating aviation museum, where you can catch up on South Africa’s high-flying past with a veteran expert guide, and even take a flip in a two-seater Harvard.

Ekurhuleni, which means "place of peace" in the local Tsonga language, is known for its superb shopping opportunities. Two of South Africa’s most popular and successful grocery store chains, Checkers and Spar, started life here. Only 7km away from the airport is one of the country’s biggest shopping malls, the East Rand Mall, with over 175 stores and a nine-theatre digital cinema centre.

If you’re looking for entertainment, then check out Emperors Palace, alongside OR Tambo International Airport, where you can have a flutter; watch musical extravaganzas, comedies and dance shows; see a movie; enjoy different restaurants and bars; or watch a boxing match.

History buffs can visit late Iron Age settlements or newer historic landmarks such as the OR Tambo Narrative Centre (one of South Africa’s greenest buildings) on the banks of the Leeupan Wetland; or pause to take in the poignant memories at the Thokoza wall of remembrance, commemorating the thousands who were killed during the apartheid freedom struggle.

At the Ke-ditselana Tourism and Multicultural Village in Germiston you can discover indigenous cultures and traditional ways of life, watch African dancing, sample local food and buy lovely handmade curios and crafts. Take a tour with a local guide to the vibrant, edgy township of Tembisa, where you can quaff local beer at a shebeen (tavern), sample local delicacies, and discover the township’s best places to chill and party.

If you’re in Boksburg, then make time to visit the privately owned Hechter-Schulz Afro-Cultural Museum, with its fantastic collection of cultural artefacts from all over Southern Africa.

The towns of Springs, Germiston and Alberton have art-deco architecture, while Benoni is the birthplace of Hollywood star Charlize Theron.

Ekurhuleni is also famous for its permanently flooded wetlands, formed by the water run-off from the gold mines, and bird sanctuaries such as Marievale Bird Sanctuary and Rondebult Bird Sanctuary could find you ticking off over 280 species.

Outdoor sports rule in Ekurhuleni. Go horse riding, hiking, mountain biking or, because of the region’s numerous lakes, go sailing, waterskiing or windsurfing. Play a round on one of the many lush golf courses, or pamper yourself at a spa.

If you’re in Ekurheleni on business you have a choice of dozens of conference venues, with state-of-the-art facilities and accommodation ranging from a country B&B or lodge, to boutique and upmarket hotels.

But wherever you are in Ekurhuleni, you’ll find excellent service, friendly people, and lots to do and see.