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Stuff from Johannesburg

Uber Eats is experimenting with its fees in Johannesburg, and you can now pay only R5 for food …

Johannesburg in the news:

  1. Uber Eats is experimenting with its fees in Johannesburg, and you can now pay only R5 for food …: Uber Eats customers in Johannesburg are now paying as little as R5 to get food delivered to their doors – and up to R35 for booze. The delivery fee … – Google Alert – Johannesburg
  2. City of Johannesburg to vaccinate young girls against HPV: BETWEEN August 6 and September 2019 the City of Johannesburg will be on a major drive to vaccinate young girls against the human … – Google Alert – Johannesburg
  3. Man with illegal gun arrested at a bar by police: The incident happened at a night club in downtown Joburg according to the Johannesburg Central Police Station's spokesperson, Captain Xoli Mbele. – Google Alert – Johannesburg
  4. 'Unafraid' Mashaba looks set to be ousted after finding 'centre of state capture': Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba is ready to face the ANC-sponsored motion of no confidence and he will go if he must, but even if he is ousted … – Google Alert – Johannesburg
  5. No permanent solution to Houghton sewage problem: JOHANNESBURG – The City of Johannesburg says there's no permanent solution to the raw sewage that's spilling onto properties in Houghton. – Google Alert – Johannesburg

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

Did you know this about Johannesburg? With the rich archaeological site known as the Cradle of Humankind on the outskirts of the city, it’s not surprising that 40% of the planet’s human ancestor fossils have been discovered in the Jo’burg area.

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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.