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."

Chris Froome (born 20 May 1985) is a professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTour team Team Sky. Born in Kenya, Froome moved with his family to South Africa as a teenager, and although he began his career registered with the Kenyan cycling federation, since spring 2008 has ridden under a British licence on the basis of his passport and father's and grandparents' country of birth,. He made his major breakthrough as a Grand Tour contender during the 2011 Vuelta a España where he finished second overall, equalling Robert Millar's second place in the 1987 Giro d'Italia as the highest placed British rider in a Grand Tour.

Having started in mountain biking, he started road racing in South Africa, specialising as a climber. In 2006, whilst representing Kenya at the Time Trial World Championships, Froome hit a UCI official just after the start, causing both men to go down, although neither were injured. He turned professional in 2007 with the South African Team Konica Minolta, and was introduced to Team Barloworld by Robbie Hunter, joining them for the 2008 season, and was named in their team for the 2008 Tour de France, in which he finished 84th overall and 12th among the young riders' category. He also completed the 2009 Giro d'Italia, in which he came 36th overall, and 7th among the young riders.

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.

Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato (born August 20, 1992) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. Her earliest roles included Angela on Barney & Friends, before she became better known for her starring roles in the Camp Rock movies, as Sonny Munroe in the Disney sitcom Sonny with a Chance, and as the star of the 2009 movie Princess Protection Program. She is also involved in philanthropic activities through charity work and various social and environmental causes.

As a solo musical artist, Lovato released her debut album Don't Forget on September 23, 2008. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 selling 89,000 copies in the first week. It has since shipped over 500,000 copies, earning a gold certification in the United States. Lovato released her second album, Here We Go Again, on July 21, 2009. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 108,000 copies in the first week. Her third studio album, Unbroken, was released on September 20, 2011 and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200. She is working on her fourth studio album.