Information on the East Rand Region, Gauteng Province providing conference facilities

The East Rand region of Gauteng consists of the urban eastern part of the Witwatersrand and extends from Germiston in the west to Springs in the east, and south down to Nigel, and includes the towns of Alberton, Boksburg, Benoni, Brakpan, Kempton Park, Edenvale, and Bedfordview. The East Rand has a separate municipal government but is also included in the Greater Johannesburg metropolitan area of Gauteng.

As part of the restructuring of municipalities in South Africa the local governments of the East Rand have merged into a single municipality, called the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. Despite having a separate municipal government the East Rand is included in the Greater Johannesburg metropolitan area of Gauteng. The East Rand is an important region in terms of the economics of Gauteng.

The East Rand area of Gauteng became settled by Europeans after the discovery of a gold-bearing reef in 1886 which sparked the gold rush that gave rise to the establishment of Johannesburg. Many of the townships of the East Rand were scenes of heavy clashes between the African National Congress and the Inkatha Freedom Party before the end of Apartheid in South Africa.

The East Rand town of Kempton Park is situated close by the O R Tambo International Airport. One of the most modern airports in Africa, the O R Tambo International Airport is South Africa's main point of entry. The East Rand has two race courses, Newmarket Racecourse in Alberton and Gosforth Park in Germiston. In and around Benoni you can visit a honey farm, a koi farm, and a Bunny Park which is home not only to numerous rabbits, but also to other farmyard animals including goats, cattle, sheep, pigs and donkeys.

Situated between Edenvale and Boksburg in the East Rand region of Gauteng is the East Rand Mall featuring nine cinemas, five banks, thirty fashion shops and numerous restaurants and fast food outlets. The Franz Hoernig Haus is situated close to Edenvale on the East Rand. One of the oldest surviving 19th Century buildings in South Africa, the Franz Hoernig Haus was a residence for the original manager of a dynamite factory. That small dynamite factory grew into the largest explosives factory on the African Continent at Modderfontein. The factory is now surrounded by an 8000 hectare conservation park that is home to the Cape Otter, the grey duiker, steenbok, black-backed jackal and red hartebeest as well as zebra, springbok and more than 200 bird species.

The Germiston Lake is situated in the East Rand town of Germiston. The lake is surrounded by a large park and is a favourite venue for weekend picnics and braais. Germiston also is home to the Rand Airport, a general aviation airport that supplements Gauteng's other airports. The town of Springs is to be found in the south-eastern part of the Gauteng East Rand region. Springs was founded in 1904 and owes its origins to the discovery of coal and gold in the region. Just outside of Springs is the Blesbokspruit Wetland Reserve featuring a major wetland system in the East Rand, running through Kempton Park, Boksburg, Brakpan, Springs and Nigel, and on to Heidelberg where it flows into the Suikerbosrand River.