Brakpan, South Africa

This mining town on South Africa's East Rand is no idyllic escape - its population of 73,080 faces a persistent headache of bureaucracy and red tape. The town's central position makes it a distribution hub, but the glory days of gold mining have long faded. Once a thriving suburb, Brakpan has gradually lost its luster, with many British residents emigrating during the apartheid era. Today, the town is more Afrikaner farming community than vibrant urban center. For those seeking an authentic, unglamorous slice of South African life, Brakpan may fit the bill, but it offers little in the way of excitement or opportunity.