“It’s Beautiful”: Content Creator Plugs the Joburg Waterfall Mzansi Keeps Sleeping On

• A Roodepoort botanical garden, just 20 kilometres from central Johannesburg, is home to a stunning 70-metre waterfall that most locals have never visited or even heard of before now
• The Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden has been drawing visitors since the 1800s and has been voted the best place to get back to nature in Gauteng for nine years running
• The garden is also home to the only known breeding pair of Verreaux’s Eagles in all of Johannesburg, nesting on the cliffs right beside the famous waterfall

Most people think Johannesburg has nothing to offer beyond shopping malls and traffic. They are wrong, and a garden tucked away in Roodepoort is the proof.

Just 20 kilometres from the city centre sits one of the most beautiful natural spaces in the country, and most Joburgers have never set foot inside it.

The Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden in Roodepoort, Gauteng, is a 300-hectare nature reserve packed with indigenous plants, walking trails and wildlife. Instagram account @afor_adventures posted a video on 2 March 2026 showing the gardens in full glory. The couple behind the account admitted that when they first shared the gardens on social media, their followers refused to believe it was in Johannesburg.

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A garden with serious history behind it

The garden was formally established in 1982, though the site had already been drawing visitors since the 1800s. It was renamed the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden in 2004 in honour of Walter Sisulu, a champion of South African freedom and anti-apartheid activist. It has since been voted the best place to get back to nature in Gauteng for nine years in a row.

The garden is home to over 600 naturally occurring plant species across three main vegetation types. This includes Egoli Granite Grassland, Gold Reef Mountain Bushveld and Northern Afrotemperate Forest. There are themed sections throughout that show visitors how to conserve water in their own homes. Educational boards are placed throughout the reserve, meaning a visit doubles as a quiet history and ecology lesson.

The waterfall nobody believed was real

The main attraction is the Witpoortjie Falls, which stands at around 70 metres tall. Visitors can follow the Geological Trail all the way to the top.

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Watch the Instagram clip here:

Mzansi reacts to the clip

Briefly News compiled comments coming from South Africans below.

@mahra_racine said:

“😍This place is beautiful! Walking to the top is a treat.”

@sh3r33nmia wrote:

“Amazing gardens and phenomenal waterfall, our favourite place to unwind.”

@cimoola commented:

“It’s so nice to see foreigners make videos of our beautiful country, South Africa.”

More Mzansi gems on Briefly News

• A Cape Town woman revealed a breathtaking waterfall hidden inside Jonkershoek Nature Reserve and left many people on social media stunned.
• A Cape Town-based content creator took a trip to Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison to grab a meal.
• A woman in Mzansi discovered a unique family attraction in South Africa, which she showed off on TikTok.
• A beautiful village seemingly hidden along South Africa's coast has sparked conversations around exclusivity online, with people thinking it may not be accessible to everyone.
• One lady plugged online users on a breathtaking hidden gem in the Eastern Cape that left peeps in awe.

Source: Briefly News