March 9, 2014
Tonight we went on a tour of Yeoville. When I told friends at work of our plans, I got very questioning stares, followed by the following two questions: "you're going where? Why?" Yeoville is not exactly somewhere that anyone not from Yeoville would generally spend much time.
Having lived in Johannesburg for almost a year now (I know!), I have been feeling lately like there are some parts to the city that I think I am ready to see more of. And while these places might not be spots I feel comfortable venturing on my own (or that our South African friends would be caught-dead visiting on their own free will), I couldn't help but think that by not making an effort to see more of the city, I would be missing out on understanding Jozi better.
Yeoville was a lot of things. Busy, vibrant, loud, smelly, colourful, and alive, to name a few. Scary was not one of them. Don't get me wrong, we stood out like sore thumbs, and I probably would have been much more apprehensive if I was alone. But, I would say we were noticed more out of curiosity than anything else.
Yeoville is a community of migrants- from all over the country and the continent at large. A quick and dirty history of Yeoville, as I understand it: Yeoville used to be an artsy, hip suburb that attracted musicians, students and political activists to it's funky cafes and urban lifestyle. In the 90's, a major demographic shift happened and the population of Yeoville went from being 85% white in 1990, to being 90% black by 1998. With the end of apartheid and the political instability that came with it, banks "red-lined" the area, meaning they refused to grant mortgages in the area. Expensive rental prices in a poverty-stricken area meant over crowding of infrastructure, neglect of upkeep, and property damage. Over time this lead to significant urban decay. The 2000's brought with them a whole-hearted attempt to restore and rebuild Johannesburg's inner city (including Yeoville); to make them safer, improve urban management, and enforce bylaws. These things take time, though, and for many Joburgers Yeoville is still considered a no-go zone.
Dlala Nje is an organization run by former Joburg suburbanites who now live in Ponte City, African's largest residential building that sits smack in the centre of three of Joburg's most notorious suburbs: Hillbrow, Yeoville and Berea. In a nutshell, Dlala Nje is "..a games and cultural emporium at the base of Ponte City in the heart of Hillbrow". Recently they have started offering walking tours in an effort to challenge the negative images associated with these suburbs. These guys know the people and the area, and going with them is like being invited in, rather than charging through as an intruder.
M, G and I joined Nick (the Co-Founder and Cultural Director of Dlala Nje) for a foodie tour of Yeoville on Sunday night. The tour started in the early evening, so we had a chance to see the Joburg skyline at dusk and spend some time eating and drinking in Yeoville at night. Anyone who has spent any amount of time in Johannesburg knows that sight-seeing and night do not generally go together. This was a rare opportunity to experience the vibrancy that comes when the sun sets and see another side of dear Jozi.
Yeoville is a community of migrants- from all over the country and the continent at large. A quick and dirty history of Yeoville, as I understand it: Yeoville used to be an artsy, hip suburb that attracted musicians, students and political activists to it's funky cafes and urban lifestyle. In the 90's, a major demographic shift happened and the population of Yeoville went from being 85% white in 1990, to being 90% black by 1998. With the end of apartheid and the political instability that came with it, banks "red-lined" the area, meaning they refused to grant mortgages in the area. Expensive rental prices in a poverty-stricken area meant over crowding of infrastructure, neglect of upkeep, and property damage. Over time this lead to significant urban decay. The 2000's brought with them a whole-hearted attempt to restore and rebuild Johannesburg's inner city (including Yeoville); to make them safer, improve urban management, and enforce bylaws. These things take time, though, and for many Joburgers Yeoville is still considered a no-go zone.
Dlala Nje is an organization run by former Joburg suburbanites who now live in Ponte City, African's largest residential building that sits smack in the centre of three of Joburg's most notorious suburbs: Hillbrow, Yeoville and Berea. In a nutshell, Dlala Nje is "..a games and cultural emporium at the base of Ponte City in the heart of Hillbrow". Recently they have started offering walking tours in an effort to challenge the negative images associated with these suburbs. These guys know the people and the area, and going with them is like being invited in, rather than charging through as an intruder.
M, G and I joined Nick (the Co-Founder and Cultural Director of Dlala Nje) for a foodie tour of Yeoville on Sunday night. The tour started in the early evening, so we had a chance to see the Joburg skyline at dusk and spend some time eating and drinking in Yeoville at night. Anyone who has spent any amount of time in Johannesburg knows that sight-seeing and night do not generally go together. This was a rare opportunity to experience the vibrancy that comes when the sun sets and see another side of dear Jozi.
Graffiti inside Dlala Nje. Love this.
Ponte City: the highest residential building on the continent of Africa.
Ponte's a little rough around the edges these days, but getting some much needed love to uncover and rediscover the magic of this unique place.
Getting down low to try and capture the whole tower in one frame (the DSLR came out later...but I never miss an opportunity to play with M's iPhone).
At the base inside the Ponte City tower- looking up 54 stories.
It wasn't exactly a walk-in-the-park to get to the base of the tower...
Kids playing inside Ponte City.
View from the 7th floor of the tower.
Admiring the view from the Yeoville heath.
Jozi has an incredibly distinctive skyline: this is probably my favourite view of it to date.
Stunning view.
On Sunday evenings the heath in Yeoville is a sacred place where people come to pray.
Strange to see such beautiful buildings in such serious disrepair.
Water tower.
Locals on the streets of Yeoville.
New meaning to "street meat". This guy's set-up was truly impressive.
Enjoying drinks Congolise-style.
The chef at the Cameroonaise seafood restaurant where we had West African grilled fish for dinner (it was so fresh that M even ate it with virtually no complaining!).
We bought a mango and a papaya from these guys; the mango was honestly the best I have ever tasted. Woolies has nothing on these guys.
G ordering a round with the locals.
Streets of Yeoville by night.
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