South Africa

The bar at the top of the tallest building in South Africa where it costs R400 just to get inside

Shaun Jacobs • 16 September 2026

I paid the R400 entrance fee to get into Alto234, the highest urban bar in Africa, at the top of The Leonardo in Sandton.

Considering its location at the top of South Africa’s tallest building and the entrance fee, the experience is relatively relaxed, which was welcomed.

The main attraction of the bar is, naturally, its location, which offers views across Johannesburg and, on a clear day, parts of Pretoria.

Alto234, with the number representing the metres above ground level, towers over its neighbours, Sandton City, the Michelangelo, and FirstRand’s granite tower.

The building itself offers 55 stories of mixed-use development space and is one of the rare skyscrapers built post-2010 in South Africa’s economic hub.

Originally conceived as a smaller project to complement Legacy’s existing hotels in Sandton, demand for mixed-use space prompted the company to revise its plans and build the city’s tallest building.

Construction began in 2015 and proceeded rapidly, with the tower completed in April 2019 and formally opening its doors later that year.

At a cost of R3 billion, the tower stands as a beacon of luxury in the heart of South Africa’s richest square mile.

The lower part of the tower contains 11 floors of premium-grade commercial office space and ground-level retail.

When this journalist visited, the ground-level retail consisted of an ultra-luxury car dealership, a tailor, and a hair salon.

At the top of this lower section is the luxury AURUM restaurant, which overlooks Johannesburg’s northern suburbs.

Above the restaurant sits the heart of the building – 200 residential apartments and luxury hotel suites managed by Legacy Hotels.

The building is crowned by eight duplex penthouses and is topped by the 3-level Leonardo Suite, which is one of the largest penthouse properties in Africa.

Alto234

The panoramic views offered at Alto234 are certainly breathtaking, with one able to choose between sights of Johannesburg’s corporate headquarters and the distant folds of the Magaliesberg.

As a business and finance journalist, my favourite occupation was staring out at the headquarters of the most valuable companies in South Africa and the broader continent.

In the tower’s immediate vicinity lie the headquarters of South Africa’s most valuable bank, FirstRand, and its most exclusive, Investec.

The JSE is a little further down Maude Street, with Nedbank and Momentum sharing the intersection with Rivonia Road.

Netcare is right below the tower and next to Capitec Business’s offices before the emerald green Old Mutual building rises opposite the Gautrain.

Turning your head slightly gives you a top-down view of Sandton City and a view of two of the country’s biggest law firms, Werksmans and Webber Wentzel.

One can see the entire Discovery head office from the tower in all its dominance at the top of the Sandton Ridge, with Sasol’s space ship hidden behind Werksmans and EY.

The vista extends through to Rosebank, where Standard Bank and Anglo American are located, through to Johannesburg’s historic CBD and the brutalist ‘Joburg Gen’.

However, the view was expected. What was most surprising was the relaxed and comfortable environment.

While comfortable, it was clear from the Moët & Chandon branding that you were sitting in luxury. This was complemented by the only Moët vending machine in Africa by the elevator door.

The space at the top of the bar can accommodate 100 people and features retractable glass panels to protect them from the weather.

It is also not only about luxury cocktails and champagne, with tapas available to order from AURUM.

The limited food menu includes wagyu sliders, seared salmon, pork belly, and artisanal snacks to accompany the drinks.

There is a R400 non-refundable entrance fee to contend with. However, this comes with a glass of Moët before riding the elevator to the top. You also get a specific time slot with your booking.

The bar welcomes families and children during the day, but it is strictly adults-only after 18:00.