MyJHB

Stuff from Johannesburg

Travel bookings surge as U.K. takes S. Africa off red list

Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa in the news:

  1. Travel bookings surge as U.K. takes S. Africa off red list: South African travel agencies report a surge in reservations for travel to and from Britain on Friday ahead of the country being … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  2. Surgery for Princess Charlene as questions grow over marriage to Prince Albert of Monaco: Princess Charlene of Monaco has undergone fresh surgery in South Africa for a health complication that has kept her away from home for most of the year.The form … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  3. BIG INTERVIEW: Ex-Morecambe defender Gerry Farrell on his adventure in aparthied South Africa: Craig Salmon talks to former Morecambe and Blackburn Rovers defender Gerry Farrell, who spent five years playing in apartheid South Africa … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  4. UK lifts travel advice against a further 51 countries – what does this mean for holidaymakers?: A total of 83 destinations have seen advice from the government against all but non-essential travel scrapped. | ITV National News … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews
  5. UK to lift travel advice for 51 countries and territories: Government is lifting its advice against non-essential travel to a further 51 countries and territories due to the coronavirus pandemic. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the decision allows people to … – “Johannesburg” – BingNews

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

Did you know this about Johannesburg? Johannesburg is the home of Kwaito music, a catchy genre of African house music that was born in the 90s and has become a South African phenomenon. It is most famous for its catchy lyrics that embody post-apartheid township culture.

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Ponte City: Transformation

As the “white flight” of the 1980s and 90s drained the inner city of capital, Ponte City underwent a dramatic and terrifying transformation. By the late 1990s, the building had become a “vertical slum” and a symbol of urban decay. It was famously “hijacked” by gangs; the retail levels were stripped, and the building became a fortress for drug dealing and human trafficking. The most haunting image from this era was the central core. Originally designed to be a light-filled courtyard, it became a literal trash heap. Residents on the upper floors would throw their refuse into the center of the building rather than taking it down. At its worst point, the trash in the core reached five stories high—a mountain of rotting debris, discarded furniture, and even, legend has it, the remains of those who had fallen or jumped.

During this period, the reputation of Ponte was so toxic that there was a serious proposal in 1998 to turn the entire skyscraper into a vertical prison. The plan was eventually scrapped, but the building remained a “no-go zone” for nearly a decade. The turnaround began in the mid-2000s when developers New Metro Property Group and later Dlala Nje began a massive, painstaking refurbishment. They cleared out the tons of trash from the core, restored the lifts (which had often been out of order, forcing residents to climb 50 flights of stairs), and implemented strict security protocols.