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Stuff from Johannesburg

Women’s Month Celebrations

The City of Johannesburg is proud to commemorate Women’s Month 2026 with a diverse programme of activities taking place throughout August in various Regions under the spirit of empowering women and girls, promoting healthy lifestyles, advancing economic participation and strengthening social cohesion across the city.

This year’s National theme is “Empowered Women Empower the Nation”.

Women’s Month provides an important opportunity to honour the legacy of the women who fought for equality and justice while reaffirming the City’s commitment to creating inclusive opportunities that enable women and girls to thrive.

This year’s programme brings together various City departments, municipal entities, provincial government partners, sporting organisations, community groups and the private sector to deliver activities that celebrate women’s achievements and create meaningful opportunities for empowerment.

The programme will officially commence with the Community Sport Engagement Day on 6 August at No. 3 Square in Alexandra, promoting wellness, teamwork and community participation through sport.

On 7 August, the Transport Department will host a virtual Women in Transport celebration, bringing together women professionals and leaders to share experiences and inspire the next generation of women in the sector.

Sport will take centre stage throughout the month, beginning with the Girls Football Tournament at Rabie Ridge Stadium on 8 August, where 32 schools will participate in a tournament designed to promote girls’ participation in sport while restoring dignity through mentorship initiatives and the distribution of sanitary towels. The tournament is presented in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Education and the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation.

Also on 8 August, women from across Johannesburg will participate in the Women’s Fun Walk and Dialogue at Westbank Park in Region E, encouraging healthy living while creating a platform for meaningful conversations on issues affecting women.

Women’s Day celebrations on 9 August will include the Women’s Netball and Cricket Event at Elkah Sport Stadium, the Provincial Women’s Celebration at Field and Study Recreation Centre under the theme “Empowered Women, Thriving Communities: Together We Build a Brighter Future,” and community celebrations in Ennerdale that recognise the invaluable contribution of women to Johannesburg’s development.

The City’s commitment to empowering women through sport will continue with the Women’s Day Netball Tournament on 10 August, the Launch of the Waterfall City Half Marathon on 12 August, the Women’s Empowerment Seminar for women entrepreneurs on 13 August, the Totalsports Women’s Race on 16 August, and the Gauteng Women’s Tennis Championship taking place from 8 to 9 August.

Economic empowerment remains a key focus of this year’s programme. The Department of Economic Development, through the Isiqalo Opportunity Centre and its partners, will host a Women’s Empowerment Seminar aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs through networking, knowledge sharing and business development opportunities.

Throughout the month, participants will also engage in leadership dialogues, mentorship initiatives and wellness programmes, including Perfecting Her Game, Women Talk, the JCPZ Women’s Day Dialogue, City Power’s Women’s Month Celebration, and the Empowa Women Leadership Summit, which will bring together business leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers and investors to advance women in leadership, innovation and enterprise development.

The programme concludes a number of community-focused initiatives, including a Women’s Day Tea Party, Healthy Lifestyle Aerobics, a stakeholder workshop for athletics development, and a literary celebration showcasing Johannesburg’s published women authors and aspiring writers.

The Member of the Mayoral Committees and Community Development in the City of Johannesburg, Cllr Thapelo Amad, said: “Women’s Month is an opportunity for us to celebrate the resilience, achievements and leadership of women while renewing our commitment to building a city where every woman and girl has access to opportunities that enable them to succeed. Through sport, entrepreneurship, leadership development, health and community engagement, we are investing in a more inclusive Johannesburg where women continue to shape our city’s future.”

The City of Johannesburg encourages residents to participate in the month’s activities as together we celebrate the strength, resilience, leadership and achievements of women while advancing equality, empowerment and inclusive development.

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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.