by 2summers | Jun 16, 2020 | BlackLivesMatter, COVID-19, Johannesburg, Soweto
Welcome to Day 82 of the South African lockdown. It’s both freezing-cold and raining in Joburg — a very rare occurrence. It’s also Youth Day, a South African public holiday commemorating the 1976 student uprising in Soweto. A mural at the June 16...
by 2summers | Jun 3, 2020 | COVID-19, Food and Drink, Johannesburg, Melville and Surrounds
I was talking on the phone with a friend this morning. I can’t remember her exact words, but she said something to the effect of, “I thought things would feel better once we moved to Level 3. But instead they feel worse.” Yes. Exactly. Two-and-a-half...
by 2summers | Jan 22, 2020 | Arts and Culture, Johannesburg, Johannesburg Day Trips, Soweto, Townships/Informal Settlements
Last week I did an all-day tour of Soweto with Eenblond Tours. “Eenblond” means “a blonde” in Afrikaans, which makes sense because that’s exactly what Gilda Swanepoel is. Gilda inside one of the Soweto cooling towers. Gilda and I are...
by 2summers | May 27, 2019 | Arts and Culture, Hidden Joburg, Johannesburg, Museums and Buildings, Soweto, Townships/Informal Settlements
Sometimes in my quest to discover all of Joburg’s hidden places, I miss out on the un-hidden ones. Such is the case with Mandela House, the Mandela family’s former home on Vilakazi Street in Soweto. It’s probably one of the top five tourist sites in...
by 2summers | Jun 28, 2017 | Arts and Culture, Johannesburg, Tours, Townships/Informal Settlements
Last weekend the Johannesburg Development Agency sponsored 13 walking tours all over the city as part of an initiative called #JoziWalks. The weekend was meant to encourage Joburgers to get out of their cars and engage with urban communities in ways they might not do...