Coordinates: 26°10′38″S 28°13′19″E / 26.17722°S 28.22194°E / -26.17722; 28.22194

The East Rand (known in Afrikaans as the Oos-Rand) is the name of the urban eastern part of the Witwatersrand that is functionally merged with the Johannesburg conurbation. This area became settled by Europeans after a gold-bearing reef discovered in 1886 and sparked the gold rush that gave rise to the establishment of Johannesburg.

The large black townships of the East Rand were the scene of heavy clashes between the African National Congress and the Inkatha Freedom Party before the end of Apartheid.

The region extends from Germiston in the west to Springs in the east, and south down to Nigel, and includes the towns of Boksburg, Benoni, Brakpan, Kempton Park, Edenvale, and Bedfordview.

As part of the restructuring of municipalities in South Africa at the time, the local governments of the East Rand were merged into a single municipality in 1999, called the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, meaning "place of peace."

Kingsley Holgate (born 28 February 1946 in Natal) is a South African explorer, humanitarian and author. A fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, he has been described by Getaway Magazine as "the most travelled man in Africa" and has modelled himself on David Livingstone. Holgate has also written several books about his expeditions and fronted several National Geographic documentaries.

Holgate's expeditions are rarely completed on his own, notably they usually involve him travelling with other members of his family including his wife Gill and son Ross.

Holgate has founded the 'Kingsley Holgate Foundation' which aims to "save and improve lives through adventure" through "humanitarian expeditions that make a difference". This has been the focus of his more recent expeditions such as the 'Africa Rainbow Expedition' and 'The Outside Edge Expedition'. This aim has been implemented through programmes such as the 'One Net, One Life' campaign which aims to give out thousands of mosquito nets to help prevent malaria simply and cheaply. The 'Right to Sight' campaign provides glasses to assist the hard of sight, allowing them to resume simple tasks such as sewing,reading and beadwork to help them contribute to their community. The third campaign 'Teaching on the Edge', a scheme supported by Centurus Colleges and Rotary International, aims to provide teaching resources and mobile libraries to remote communities to provide education and improve literacy.

Ken Oosterbroek (14 February 1963 - 18 April 1994), was a South African photojournalist and member of The Bang-Bang Club. He worked for The Star in Johannesburg, which was South Africa's biggest daily broadsheet. He won numerous photography awards for his work.

Ken Oosterbroek initially struggled to get his start in photography, going from paper to paper trying to get a job based on photos he'd taken illegally of fellow conscripts during his military service in southern Angola. Years later, in 1989, he achieved his first success, winning the Ilford Award (South African Press Photographer of the Year). In reference to this, he wrote: 'And then in the morning this kind of emptiness or what-now feeling and it just wasn't so important anymore. I've got it, it's history, it's on record and now my head is free of a single-minded one-stop goal. Now I can really let it rip. Will somebody please give me a gap to let it rip? BUT, give me a break to shoot the real thing. Real, happening, life. Relevant work. Something to get the adrenaline up and the eyes peeled, the brain rolling over with possibilities and the potential for powerhouse pictures. I am a photographer. Set me free.' He would be named South African Press Photographer of the Year again by 1991, and in August of that year he was chief photographer at The Star.

Randal Howard "Rand" Paul (born January 7, 1963) is the junior United States Senator for Kentucky. He is a member of the Republican Party. A member of the Tea Party movement, he describes himself as a "constitutional conservative" and a libertarian. He is the son of Republican Congressman and 2012 Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul of Texas and had never previously held political office. Paul first received national attention in 2008 when making political speeches on behalf of his father. Rand Paul is the first United States Senator in history to serve alongside a parent in the United States House of Representatives.

A graduate of the Duke University School of Medicine, Paul has been a practicing ophthalmologist in Bowling Green, Kentucky, since 1993, and established his own clinic in December 2007. In 1994, he founded Kentucky Taxpayers United, of which he is still the chairman.

In 2010, Paul ran as the Republican candidate for the United States Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky and defeated Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway. As a supporter of the Tea Party movement, Paul has been vocal in advocating for term limits, a balanced budget amendment, and the Read the Bills Act, in addition to the widespread reduction of federal spending and taxation. He has gained prominence for his independent positions on many political issues, often clashing with both Republicans and Democrats.