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Benoni, South Africa

Coordinates: 26°11′18″S 28°19′14″E / 26.18833°S 28.32056°E / -26.18833; 28.32056
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Benoni
The CBD of Benoni
The CBD of Benoni
Benoni is located in Gauteng
Benoni
Benoni
Benoni is located in South Africa
Benoni
Benoni
Benoni is located in Africa
Benoni
Benoni
Coordinates: 26°11′18″S 28°19′14″E / 26.18833°S 28.32056°E / -26.18833; 28.32056
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceGauteng
MunicipalityEkurhuleni
Established1881
Area
[1]
 • Total
175.55 km2 (67.78 sq mi)
Elevation
1,645 m (5,397 ft)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total
158,777
 • Density900/km2 (2,300/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
[1]
 • Black African45.2%
 • Coloured2.1%
 • Indian/Asian13.9%
 • White38.1%
 • Other0.8%
First languages (2011)
[1]
 • English53.89%
 • Afrikaans11%
 • Zulu17.1%
 • Northern Sotho5.3%
 • Other17.3%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
1501
PO box
1500
Area code011

Benoni is a town on the East Rand, Gauteng, South Africa, some 26 kilometres (16 mi) east of Johannesburg, within the City of Ekurhuleni municipality.[2][3]

Benoni was also the setting for the MTV-inspired movie Crazy Monkey: Straight Outta Benoni, released internationally in 2005.[4]

History

[edit]

Jewish community

[edit]

Benoni was previously home to a thriving Jewish community, peaking with 400 Jewish families. Jewish residents were also widely involved in the greater community, with five Jewish mayors.[5]

The Benoni Shul congregation began with a synagogue located on Woburn Avenue in 1907, before relocating to a new, larger synagogue on Park Street in 1933.[6] The synaogue served the community for 90 years, before closing in 2023.[7] Rabbi Lionel Mirvis, father of Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, previously served the congregation.[8] The synagogue was designed in a modernist style by the English architect, Arthur Furner, a partner in Hermann Kallenbach's architectural firm, KKF.[9]

The community was also served by Hillel, a Jewish day school, which closed in 1989, amid Jewish migration to Johannesburg's northern suburbs and emigration overseas.[10]

A Jewish cemetery was also established in Benoni in 1912, it is administered by the Benoni Chevrah Kadisha.[11]

Aura Herzog, the former First Lady of Israel, often spent shabbat in Benoni when she was a student in Johannesburg.[12]

Geography

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Benoni is situated towards the centre of the East Rand and lies on the urban fringe where the urban area dissolves into the smallholdings and farmland to the north. It borders on Kempton Park to the north-west, Boksburg to the west, Brakpan to the south and Daveyton to the east.

Benoni mainly encompasses a mixture of suburban areas and semi-rural acreage towards the north while the commercial central business district lies in the centre and a few industrial areas lie towards the south.

Transportation

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Rail

[edit]

Benoni lies on the main railway line between Johannesburg and Springs and the main railway line between Johannesburg and Daveyton, both operated by Metrorail which has temporarily suspended services on these commuter lines since 2020 and have remained closed due to vandalism on these lines.[13][14]

Prior to 2020, Metrorail operated services on the Johannesburg-Springs line from Benoni to Johannesburg, Germiston, Boksburg, Brakpan and Springs. Benoni is served by three Metrorail railway stations on the Johannesburg-Springs line including: Benoni station, New Kleinfontein station and Apex station.[15]

Prior to 2020, Metrorail operated services on the Johannesburg-Daveyton line from Benoni to Johannesburg, Germiston and Boksburg. Benoni is served by three Metrorail railway stations on the Johannesburg-Daveyton line including: Avenue station, Northmead station and Van Ryn station.[15]

Road

[edit]

The N12 is the major freeway that runs through Benoni. It enters the town from Boksburg and Johannesburg in the west, bisecting the town and bypassing the CBD to its immediate north before heading east towards eMalahleni.

The R23 runs north-south from Kempton Park towards Brakpan and Heidelberg and runs through the CBD as Tom Jones Street (southbound) and Bunyan Street (northbound). The R29 runs east-west from Springs towards Boksburg and runs through the CBD as Ampthill Avenue (westbound) and Princess Avenue (eastbound). The R51 runs north-south from Bapsfontein, just outside Benoni towards Springs and barely by-passes Benoni to the east.

Benoni is also served by three metropolitan routes linking it to surrounding towns and cities in the East Rand. The M43 links Benoni with Kempton Park to the north-west and Vosloorus to the south-west. The M44 links Benoni with Boksburg to the west. The M45 links Benoni with Kempton Park to the north-west. The M53 links Benoni with Boksburg to the west and Brakpan to the south.

People from Benoni

[edit]

Arms

[edit]
Coat of arms of Benoni, South Africa
Notes
Granted by the College of Arms, 6 March 1938.[21]
Crest
In front of a sun rising Or an arm embowed the hand grasping a sledgehammer Proper.
Escutcheon
Or a turreted castle of three storeys Sable on a chief Sable three escallops Argent all within a bordure Gules charged with four bezants and four heraldic fountains alternately.
Supporters
Two springbok Proper each gorged with a collar Azure charged with three bezants.
Motto
Auspocium Melioris Aevi

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Main Place Benoni". Census 2011.
  2. ^ Cowley AM, Mathewson JE (1968). Benoni, son of my sorrow : the social, political and economic history of a South African gold mining town. Benoni, Gauteng. OCLC 923280265.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ Bonner P, Nieftagodien N (2012). Ekurhuleni The Making of an Urban Region. Johannesburg, Gauteng: Wits University Press. ISBN 9781868145430. OCLC 912308844.
  4. ^ "Crazy Monkey Presents Straight Outta Benoni". IMDb.com. 1 August 2005. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  5. ^ Saks, David. Benoni Shul turns 100 with joy and remembering The South African Jewish Report. Retrieved on 29 December 2024
  6. ^ Benoni synagogue South African Jewish Museum Archives. Retrieved on 29 December 2024
  7. ^ Century-old Benoni Shul shuttered but not forgotten The South African Jewish Report. 27 July 2023
  8. ^ Mirvis knighted in the UK, rooted in SA The South African Jewish Report. 12 January 2023
  9. ^ Munro, Kathy. Kallenbach in early Joburg Journal of the South African Institute of Architects. March/April 2016
  10. ^ Alhadeff, Vic. On the move The Australian Jewish News. 9 June 1989
  11. ^ Benoni Cemetery has new concrete fence The South African Jewish Report. 26 March 2014
  12. ^ When Israel’s first lady had Shabbat in Benoni The South African Jewish Report. 24 February 2022
  13. ^ Import, Pongrass (25 August 2022). "Hope for decrepit stations". Benoni City Times. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  14. ^ Mutandiro, Kimberly. "East Rand train stations left in ruins, with repairs set to cost Prasa millions". Business. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  15. ^ a b "Transit Maps: Official Map: Gauteng Metrorail, South Africa, 2013". Transit Maps. 30 September 2013. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  16. ^ Carlson, Urzila. "Urzila Carlson on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Jewish Report : Lieberman being sidelined as Israeli foreign minister" (PDF). Sajr.co.za. 10 July 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  18. ^ "Comrades Marathon". comrades.com. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  19. ^ Jessica Marais and James Stewart: Our love story! Now to Love. 19 December 2010
  20. ^ Smith, David (15 July 2015). "Don't mess with Grace Mugabe – she could be the next president of Zimbabwe". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  21. ^ "BENONI, STADSRAAD/TOWN COUNCIL". Bureau of Heraldry. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
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