JohannesburgJo‧han‧nes‧burg /dʒəʊˈhænəsbɜːɡ $ -bɜːrɡ/ (also Jo'burg informal)the largest city in South Africa, and a centre for business and industry. Before the end of apartheid, black people were not allowed to live there, and had to live in townships outside the city, especially soweto.