Alexandra, informally abbreviated to
Alex, is a
township located in the
Gauteng province of South Africa. It forms part of the city of
Johannesburg and is located near the upper-class suburb of
Sandton. Alexandra is bounded by
Wynberg on the west,
Marlboro and Kelvin on the north,
Kew, Lombardy West and Lombardy East on the south. It is commonly known as "Gomorrah" among local residents. Alexandra is one of the poorest urban areas in the country. Alexandra is situated on the banks of the
Jukskei River. In addition to its original, reasonably well-built houses, it also has a large number (estimated at more than 20,000) of
informal dwellings or "shacks".