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Johannesburg is located in the eastern plateau area of South Africa, known as the Highveld, at an elevation of 1753 metres. The city is located on a small ridge called the Witwatersrand (White Water's Ridge: Afrikaans) and the city's northern and western suburbs have undulating hills, while the eastern metro area is generally flat.

Johannesburg enjoys a dry, sunny climate with the exception of occasional late afternoon downpours in the summer months of October to April. Temperatures in Johannesburg are usually fairly mild thanks to the city's high altitude, with the average maximum daytime temperature in January of 26ºC, dropping to an average maximum of around 16°C in June. During the winter, the temperature occasionally drops to below freezing at nigh time, causing frost. Snow is a rare occurrence, although the city experienced snowfall in August 2006). The annual average rainfall is 713mm, which is mostly concentrated in the summer months.

Despite the relatively dry climate, Johannesburg contains about six million trees, and it is often claimed that the city has the largest man-made forest in the world. Many trees were originally planted in the northern areas of the city at the end of the 19th century, to provide wood for the mining industry. The areas were developed by a German immigrant, who called the forest estates Sachsenwald. The name was changed to Saxonwold, now the name of a suburb, during World War I. White residents who moved into the areas, now generally referred to as the Northern Suburbs, retained many of the original trees and planted new ones, with the encouragement of successive city councils. In recent years, however, a considerable number of trees have been felled, to make way for the Johannesburg’s Northern Suburbs' speedy residential and commercial redevelopment. Johannesburg is therefore at risk of losing its forest coverage within a few decades.

Johannesburg is the economic and financial hub of South Africa, producing 16 % of South Africa's gross domestic product, and accounts for 40 % of Gauteng's economic activity. Mining is the foundation of the Witwatersrand's economy, but its importance is gradually declining. While gold mining no longer takes place within the city limits, most mining companies have their headquarters in Johannesburg. The city has a great variety of manufacturing industries, including steel and cement plants. Many banking and commercial companies are also located in Johannesburg. Johannesburg has Africa's largest stock exchange, the JSE Securities Exchange. Due to its commercial importance, Johannesburg is the site of a number of government branch offices, as well as consular offices and other institutions that are usually found only in capital cities. There is also a very large informal economy consisting of cash-only street traders and vendors which are largely missed in official statistics. The Witwatersrand urban complex is a major consumer of water in a dry region. It is continued economic and population growth has depended on schemes to divert water from other regions of South Africa and from the highlands of Lesotho, but additional sources will be needed early in the 21st century.

The container terminal at City Deep is purported to be the largest "dry port" in the world, with some 60 % of cargo that arrives through the port of Durban arriving in Johannesburg. The City Deep area has been declared an IDZ (industrial development zone) by the Gauteng government, as part of the Blue IQ Project.

Johannesburg's largest and most prestigious shopping centres are Sandton City and Hyde Park respectively. Other centers include Rosebank, Eastgate, Westgate, Northgate, Southgate, and Cresta. There are also plans to build an extremely large shopping centre, known as the Zonk'Izizwe Shopping Resort, in Midrand. "Zonk'Izizwe" means "All Nations" in isiZulu, indicating that the centre will cater to the city's diverse mix of peoples and races.