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Moms Around the World: Johannesburg, South Africa Tips for planning visits with young children from a local mom in the know
In this feature: Great Places to Go Getting Around Dining with Kids Practical Tips New Parents
 Ally Cohen with her son Gabriel in South Africa.
People have
lived in the region now called South Africa for more than
100,000 years. As you might imagine, things have changed a lot
since people first started raising families there. Today, South
Africa is home to some 48 million people, nearly 4 million of
whom live in its largest city: Johannesburg.
“Jo’burg,”
as it’s often called by residents, is extremely diverse with
eleven officially recognized languages spoken in the city. With
more than 10 million trees, it is also home to the world’s
largest man-made forest. With the largest airport in all of
Africa, Johannesburg is also a major crossroads for
international travelers, including those seeking out the Big
Five in
Kruger National Park, South Africa’s largest game reserve.
In 2010,
Johannesburg will host the 2010 FIFA World Cup (that’s soccer to
those of us stateside), a major feat considering the extremely
high crime rates the city has struggled with during recent
years, which were enough to drive many large businesses out to
the suburbs. Fortunately, as the local economy stabilizes and
continues to grow in post-apartheid Johannesburg, crime rates
have been improving. In December of 2008, CCTV cameras were
installed on every street corner in the Central Business
District and the average police response rate to crime is now
under 60 seconds. Presently, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani
is also advising local government on issues of urban crime
reduction in preparation for the FIFA events.
 For
any parent raising children in a high crime area such as
Johannesburg in recent years, child safety would be of
particular concern. Ally Cohen, a Jo’burg resident and mom to a
special needs 7-year-old son and a 10-month old baby boy, turned
her concerns into a successful business called “4
A Kid,” which distributes children’s safety products
nationally and internationally. She was also a finalist in the
Standard Bank Mompreneur Competition for 2008. Ally was kind
enough to answer my questions about raising children in South
Africa and offer her tips for parents planning to visit
Johannesburg with kids.
Q: Ally,
where did you live before moving to Johannesburg?
Ally:
I was born in Pretoria, South Africa and moved to Johannesburg
when I was 18 years old. The two cities are very similar and are
only about 60km away from each other, but Johannesburg is “more
happening” from a social aspect and is the financial hub of
South Africa.
 Q:
What did you do in your life before motherhood?
Ally:
I used to work full time as a financial manager of a large
corporation until my oldest son Gabriel was 5 years old. I then
moved to part-time flexi hours with the same company so I could
pursue my dream and open up my own business in children’s
products. I now run my own business called
4 A Kid specializing in child safety products and baby
accessories. I now have two children, Gabriel who is 7 years old
and is a special-needs child and Jaden, who is 10 months old.
Q: Where are
your favorite places to go with your children in Johannesburg?
Ally:
We generally go to a nursery where there is a petting zoo and
lots of space for the kids to play and run around. My kids love
going to the shops, so weekends are spent at shopping malls.
There are also a few indoor playgrounds in some of the malls for
the kids to play in. My kids love playing in the garden, and
their favourite place is actually playing in our garden. We
don’t go to open parks as it is not safe with the high crime
rate in South Africa.
 Q:
Has raising small children in South Africa changed very much
since you were a child? How so?
Ally: I think
that it is more or less the same to bring up our kids today
compared to when I was a child, maybe a bit harder with the
exposure that our kids have to TV and “bad things” in today’s
times. Technology is certainly more advanced and my mother often
comments that she wishes she had a few of the baby gadgets in
her day.
Q: Are
mothers allowed a “maternity leave” by the South African
government or private businesses?
Ally:
Moms are allowed maternity leave but in terms of the law,
companies do not have to pay for maternity leave. Most companies
do however pay up 75% of the monthly salary and maternity leave
is generally 4 months.
Q: Would you
say it’s more common for new mothers to work or to stay home?
Ally:
Most moms work today, with the current economic times and high
living standards but there are a lot of moms in South Africa
that do not work.
Q: Is
breastfeeding a common among new mothers in Johannesburg, and is
it common to see mothers breastfeeding in public?
 Ally:
Breastfeeding is quite “open” in South Africa. All the shopping
centers do however have baby changing and breast feeding rooms
for the private moms.
Q: What are
the car seat laws like in South Africa?
Ally:
South African seat belt
legislation requires that all drivers and passengers over the
age of three wear seatbelts. Unfortunately a lot of parents do
not adhere to this and often children are seen playing loose in
the back seats of cars. However, there are no seat belt
regulations for children under that age. The only provision for
children under three years old is that if there is a child
restraint or child safety seat in the car, they should be
strapped into it.
Q: Is public
transportation a good option for getting around Johannesburg, or
other parts of South Africa?
Ally:
Public transport is not great in South Africa. Most people drive
their own cars and there are privately owned mini-bus taxis that
travel the roads with passengers. There are also privately owned
taxis for travelers to use. There are buses available but not in
every area and are not always reliable. The government is
currently building a new train system called “Gautrain”
to transport people in Johannesburg to major destinations like
the airport and CBD.
Q: What is
the best way to get around Johannesburg with babies and young
children? And are taxis practical or reasonable in your area?
 Ally:
By car defiantly! Public transport is not very reliable as far
as I know. Taxis can be used OR car rental is probably the best
way to go.
Q: Is it
common to see babies and kids in restaurants around
Johannesburg?
Ally:
There are a lot of restaurants in Johannesburg and we often see
kids & babies out. South Africans love to be outside, and also
love eating. Most places are geared up to accommodate children.
Q: Where
should parents look to find baby supplies like diapers—or
“nappies,” baby food, and baby medicines?
Ally:
South Africa has a few baby chain shops and pharmacies where
parents can purchase their baby goods. They can go on
www.google.co.za and type in “baby products.” I also
have a few baby shops listed on my website (http://www.4akid.co.za/where-to-buy/).
 Q:
Good tips. Any other advice you would you give to parents
visiting your corner of the world?
Ally:
South Africa is geared for international tourists and is an
unbelievable tourist destination because we have so many
beautiful features in our country.
Thanks for
sharing Johannesburg with us, Ally. And thanks to the
photographers also contributing to this feature:
Paul Keller and
Chris Eason. This article is part of Photo Friday at
DeliciousBaby.com, where you’ll find more inspiration for
your family's travels. To read about more moms featured in this
series, see the
Moms Around the World map.
Browse all Moms Around the World features
Copyright (c) 2009 - 2015 Shelly Rivoli, author of Travels with Baby. All rights reserved. Adapted from an earlier article by Shelly Rivoli that appeared in the national edition of Examiner.com.
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