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Sandton Central , without doubt , has become the most important business and financial node in South Africa , and plausibly sub-Saharan Africa . It is home to many of South Africa ’ s largest corporates , the world ’ s top multinational companies , the JSE and the iconic Sandton City mega-mall . Not only is Sandton South Africa ’ s commercial capital , it is also a world-class leading city .
“
n economic circles , the attractiveness and economic health of an area is measured by a simple guideline – the number of cranes which can be seen on the skyline . Right now , the Sandton Central skyline shows an impressive cluster of cranes ,” says Elaine Jack , City Improvement District Manager for Sandton Central Management District .
So , it may be difficult to imagine that less than 50 years ago Sandton didn ’ t exist in name - where it stands today was largely a farming and smallholding community .
Sandton was promulgated in July 1969 and “ at that time there were about 30,000 whites in the town and 15,000 horses ”, according to former town planner Barry Bristow . And , while scarcely populated in the years before that , it has a rich , albeit largely uneventful , early history .
Greater Sandton ’ s first residents were middle stone-age hunters who arrived around 30,000 years ago , establishing communities on the granite