This industrial suburb lies three kilometers to south-west of the Johannesburg CBD.

It is located in Region F of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, adjacent to Booysens.

[2]: 154  The suburb is situated on part of an old Witwatersrand farm called Turffontein.

[3] It is named after the Paarl Ophir Gold Mining Company that owned the land.

[3] It has its origins as a dusty residential suburb, that was surrounded by mine dumps, and occupied by the poorer classes.