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Stuff from Johannesburg

Covid’s financial hangover eases

Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa in the news:

  1. Covid’s financial hangover eases: A staggering 94% of those surveyed in a recent Debt Rescue study experienced a cash shortage during the past year. This could be due to changing work statuses. A noteworthy 34% lost their jobs, … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  2. KQ enters pact with South Africa’s Airlink: National carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) has signed an interline agreement with South Africa’s regional carrier Airlink. – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  3. Last chance for municipalities to claim VBS millions: Municipalities, businesses and shareholders owed by the now defunct VBS Mutual Bank have until two weeks to lodge their valid claims in the doomed financial institution. – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  4. SOEs bypass local capital market: OUT of the N$ 10,9 billion government loan guarantees to SOEs, only N$ 1,8 billion was for borrowing from the local capital market. – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  5. SA records 67 more COVID-19 deaths, 2,256 new infections: Sixty-seven more people have died in South Africa after contracting the coronavirus, taking our known death toll to 54,687. – “Johannesburg” – BingNews

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Have you tried: Whale and Dolphin Watching in Algoa Bay?

Did you know this about Johannesburg? There is only one other city on the continent that is bigger than Joburg, and that is the bustling metropolis of Cairo in Egypt. Johannesburg is the second biggest city on Africa.

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The Oriental Plaza: A Phoenix in Fordsburg

If Johannesburg is a city of forced displacements, the Oriental Plaza is its most resilient response. While the Rand Club was built for the elite and Ponte for the “jet-set,” the Oriental Plaza was born from the trauma of the Group Areas Act—a piece of Apartheid legislation designed to geographically separate the races. Yet, in true Johannesburg fashion, what was intended as a tool of containment and financial ruin for the Indian community transformed into one of the most vibrant, independent commercial powerhouses in the country.

The story of the Plaza begins with the destruction of Pageview, affectionately known as Fietas. In the mid-20th century, Fietas was a legendary multicultural hub, centered around the bustling 14th Street. It was the city’s premier destination for textiles, clothing, and spices, where shoppers of all races would rub shoulders in a “jazzy, soulful” atmosphere. However, because Fietas was located so close to the white-only city center, the Apartheid government declared it a “white area” in 1962. The community fought back for decades, but by the 1970s, the bulldozers arrived. Homes were leveled, and the thriving traders of 14th Street were forcibly relocated to a purpose-built, modernist complex a kilometer away in Fordsburg: the Oriental Plaza.

The government’s intent was cynical: by moving the traders into a controlled environment with high state-mandated rents and strict rules on what could be sold, they hoped to break the back of Indian commercial dominance. The early years were devastating; many businesses folded, and the “Grand Bazaar” felt like a sterile warehouse compared to the street-level energy of Fietas. However, the traders refused to vanish. They eventually won the right to purchase their own shops, making the Oriental Plaza unique among South African malls because it is owned by the shopkeepers themselves rather than a corporate landlord. This ownership model changed everything. Without the burden of massive monthly mall rentals, the 360+ independent stores can offer prices that national retailers cannot touch, turning the Plaza into a “bargain-hunter’s paradise” that draws millions of visitors a year.