Alberton is a town situated on the southern part of the East Rand of the Gauteng Province in South Africa and is situated very close to the major urban centre of Johannesburg. Alberton is described as a typical suburban community, one which is primarily residential in character, with most of its workers commuting to work in nearby suburbs or cities such as Johannesburg and Germiston.
The town was founded in 1904 by General Hendrik Abraham Alberts, a veteran of the Anglo-Boer War, who purchased a part of the farm from Org Meyer and named it Alberton. The town has a rich history and is home to several landmarks, including the homestead of Johannes Petrus Meyer, which can still be seen today from the bypassing N12 freeway
The town is made up of 19 suburbs over an area of approximately 77km² and have a diverse population of approximately121,536 people. The primary language spoken in Alberton is Afrikaans, followed by English, Zulu, Sotho, and other languages.
The city's initial centre of development was in the area now known as Alberton North or 'Old' Alberton. Alrode, which is Alberton's industrial suburb, was established in 1943.
Alberton has multiple access roads to some of the major freeways in the Gauteng Province such as the R59, N12, N17 and N3.
Alberton was also home to the now defunct New Market Race Course, which is now one of the more prominent shopping malls within Alberton.
Healthcare facilities include numerous government clinics as well the privately run Netcare Alberton hospital, formerly the Union Hospital and Clinton Clinic respectively.
There are a number of established sports facilities and clubs and is also home to the Reading Country Club and Golf Course.
Alberton borders on the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve, located on Peggy Vera Road, Kibler Park, as well as the well-known Rietvlei Zoo Farm located on Swartkoppies Road.