Mexican Food in Alexandra (and Other Tales From the Kasi)
Some of the best tacos in Johannesburg are served at a restaurant in Alexandra Township. Who knew? I certainly didn't. But luckily I do know Asanda Daza, and Asanda knows everything about food in Alexandra (a.k.a. Alex). Asanda at the Junk Park, our first stop on the...
Andrew Lindsay, Joburg’s Mosaic Master
I recently participated in a public art bus tour hosted by the City of Johannesburg, honoring the legacy of Andrew (Drew) Lindsay. Drew died of a heart attack in October 2021 while sitting in his garden outside the Spaza Art Gallery in Troyeville. He was 65. If you'd...
The Blogitects’ Excellent (Mis)adventures in KwaZulu-Natal, Part 3
Before reading this post, read Part 1 and Part 2 of the Blogitects’ Excellent (Mis)adventures. After our double-tire-puncture fiasco, Thorsten and I were stranded at the entrance to the Tembe Elephant Park (about an hour from our accommodation in Kosi Bay.)...
The Blogitects’ Excellent (Mis)adventures in KwaZulu-Natal, Part 2
Before reading this post, read Part 1 of the Blogitects' Excellent (Mis)adventures. Thorsten and I woke up early on Friday morning, eager to explore the Kosi Mouth beach and estuary. Amangwane Camp sits right beside the entrance to the nature reserve, run by Ezemvelo...
The Blogitects’ Excellent (Mis)adventures in KwaZulu-Natal, Part 1
Thorsten and I, a.k.a. the Blogitects (one blogger, one architect), recently took a much-anticipated road trip through South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province. It was a very exciting trip but it did not go as planned. I've procrastinated several days on writing about it...
Hidden Joburg: The Lemon Squeezer Church
I recently bought a copy of Hidden Joburg, a hardback coffee table book featuring 28 of Joburg's most interesting (and difficult to access, in some cases) buildings and interiors. Hidden Joburg, written by Paul Duncan and photographed by Alain Proust. The book is part...
Joburg’s Five Best Shawarmas
As many of you already know, I've been on a mission to discover Joburg's best shawarmas. This turned out to be a bigger challenge than I initially anticipated. One of many photos of me eating a shawarma, in this instance at the Schwarma Co. in Norwood. All the photos...
The Awe-Inspiring Shiva Temple of Actonville, Benoni
Several months ago I spotted a post in the @WhatsOnInJoburg Instagram feed. "Africa's tallest Shiva Shakti Statue is in Benoni", the post read, with a photo of the biggest, boldest, most colorful Hindu deity I've ever seen. I made a mental note to visit the Sivan...
Flying (and Driving) With South Africa’s First Black Woman Balloon Pilot
Last week I participated in a "motoring" media morning with Ford South Africa. The core purpose of the event was to get a bunch of woman journalists/bloggers/influencers together for a drive through the countryside in a convoy of bad-ass Ford Ranger bakkies (pick-up...
Glorious, Plastic-free Shopping at the Refillery
Over the past two weeks I've seen dozens of heartbreaking pictures of the recent flooding in Kwa-Zulu Natal, and there's one image I can't get out of my mind: a shot by photojournalist Jacques Nelles of a Durban beach piled high with plastic waste. Apparently many of...
Return to Jeppestown’s City Hall
Almost ten years ago, I did an exhibition of photos I shot in Maboneng and Jeppestown, two adjacent neighborhoods in downtown Joburg. I had nearly forgotten about this exhibition (which you can read about here). But then a week ago I received an Instagram message from...
Call of the Melville Mielie Lady
If you live in Melville, or have lived in Melville at any point between December and April over the past few decades, then you know the call of the Mielie Lady. "Meeeeeeee-LEEEEEEEEEEES?!" she begins. Her voice echoes down the thick tunnel of plane trees, leaves heavy...
Shopping Sustainably (and Cheaply) in Johannesburg
You all know I've become obsessed with second-hand shopping -- especially thrifted clothes curated by my friend Ryan of @threedogsthrift. And while I buy most of my clothes directly from Ryan, I've also become interested in sustainable shopping more generally. Joburg...
The Cosmos Flowers of Delta Park: 2022 Edition
I hadn't planned to blog about the cosmos flowers in Delta Park this year. I've already done so multiple times: Once during my #Gauteng52 series and once (very memorably) right before South Africa's covid-19 lockdown began two years ago. But I went to see the cosmos...
Heather Mason
I’m an American writer/blogger/photographer living a quirky life in Johannesburg. Follow along as I explore Johannesburg, South Africa, and the rest of the world.
