Fourways, Sandton

Fourways at a glance

Fourways is the fastest-developing commercial and residential hub in northern Sandton, north of Johannesburg, South Africa. The main access routes to Fourways are off the N1 at R511 William Nicol Drive, or alternatively along R564 Witkoppen Road. It is located mostly in Region E of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. It is roughly as far as one can go in the Johannesburg Metropolitan area before it dissolves into rolling hills, game farms and the capital Pretoria, 55 kilometres to the northeast. Hartebeespoort verch Dam and the Magaliesberg Mountains lie half an hour to the north-west. It is bordered by Bryanston to the east and south and Randburg to the west.

The Fourways district is also home to the Fourways Mall which became the largest shopping centre in Africa post an extensive upgrade.

History

Long before the district came to be called Fourways, it was a residence and game farm owned by the Eriksen family. The residence they built here in the early 1940s was named Norscot Manor (after their nationalities 'Nor'wegian and 'Scot'tish).

After being sold off piece by piece, the stately manor house was given to the City Council of Johannesburg in the 1970s. The mansion now serves Fourways as Norscot Manor Recreation Centre, the majority of it being a library, but also encompassing an art gallery. There has been much alteration to the manor. It contains Art Deco finishes which abound and remain, such as seashell-inspired window fastenings, and air grates above windows delicately molded of plaster and depicting classic Art Deco ideas. In 2015, the Norscot manor house was awarded 'blue plaque' heritage status from the City of Johannesburg, which was unveiled by local Ward Councillor Chris Santana on 18 February 2015.

Fourways was so named because of the four-way stop where William Nicol Drive and Witkoppen Road met. Today William Nicol Drive cuts under Witkoppen Road and is 3 lanes wide. The Fourways name is symbolised with two four-way roundabouts on Kingfisher Drive, the main thoroughfare of the Greater Fourways suburb, intersecting Robin Drive and Alexander Avenue.

Geography

The district of Fourways encompasses several suburbs and estates. The suburbs include Fourways (on the Western side of William Nicol Drive, with a small portion on the Eastern side colloquially known as Little Fourways), Magalies View, Bryanston Ext. 34, several Magaliessig extensions, Norscot, Norscot Slopes, Lonehill and Beverley, Craigavon, Broadacres. The estates are Cedar Creek, Cedar Lakes, Fourways Gardens, Dainfern, Dainfern Valley, Dainfern Ridge and Fernbrook Estate. The estates have come to be because of the city's high crime rate. Dainfern is centred on a golf course, while Cedar Lakes, Fourways Gardens and Fernbrook Estate are centred on family ideals and parks, Fourways Gardens has a small nature enclosure which used to be home to a set of zebra and several blue cranes. The weather is warmer here than that to the South. Fourways will, on average, enjoy Pretoria's temperatures, owing to their proximity.

Fourways has two well-known koppies one  located in the Fourways Nature Reserve, named the Norscot Koppies. Lonehill and Beverley has another, located in the Lonehill Nature Reserve, named the Lonehill Koppie.

Central Fourways comprises the entertainment district. These centres are Design Quarter, just north of Magaliessig, Fourways Mall north of Fourways, Montecasino to the east of Fourways, Fourways Crossing just east of Fourways Mall and Cedar Square to the north-west of Fourways Mall. It must be mentioned that Broadacres and Lonehill are served by their own smaller shopping centres. These centres are chic, and are frequented by stay-at-home moms, Broadacres being the particular favourite because of the large park-like grounds it encloses, making it a safe and enjoyable haven for children.

Schools

Government school:

• Fourways High School in Greater Fourways (grades 8-12)

The private Crawford schools:

• Pre-Primary, and Preparatory in Craigavon (grades 000-7) as well as Crawford Pre-Primary, Preparatory and College in Lonehill (grades 000-12).
• Dainfern College (grades 0-12).

Bryanston's elite government primary schools Bryandale Primary School and Bryanston Primary School, because of Fourways' close proximity to Bryanston.