Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA)
For immediate release
#JoziWalks is a series of sponsored walking tours initiated in 2017 by the JDA in partnership with a passionate group of local community activists, tourism entrepreneurs, walking tour operators and heritage specialists. #JoziWalks aims to get Joburgers onto the streets to walk and engage with neighbours and their local community, and to enable people to discover and share insights and ideas about the neighbourhoods they walk.
The #JoziWalks2018 weekend is happening on May 19 and 20. This year 11 walks have been chosen from the more than 40 applications received from neighbourhoods across the city. The criteria are: Walks must celebrate the real Joburg, the stories of places and people, foster community connection and offer insights into what makes a neighbourhood work
Bookings for the #JoziWalks2018 weekend will open on April 18. Prior booking is absolutely essential for each walk as space is limited. All information will be made available on the JoziWalks Facebook page.
The 11 JoziWalks taking place during the #JoziWalks2018 weekend are:
Township into Towns with Maboneng Township Arts Experience in Alexandra.
Transforming local residents’ homes into art galleries, Maboneng Township Arts Experience’s Siphiwe Ngwenya explores Alexandra’s underground art community.
#BikesMustRise with Black Bite Productions cc. in Diepsloot.
Black Bite Productions’ Lucky Nkali shares his experience of being a township cyclist, offering a chance to experience Diepsloot on two wheels while visiting local artist workshops and public art installations.
Honing in on Hope with the Spaza Art Gallery in Troyeville
Artist, community activist and founder of Troyeville’s Spaza Art Gallery Andrew Lindsay leads a guided walk through the inner-city Eastern Gateway’s parallel communities of Troyeville, Ellis Park, Bertrams and Doornfontein giving participants an opportunity to join in a large-scale art installation project.
Hillbrow Youth Walks with Outreach Foundation, Hillbrow Theatre Project and Johannesburg Heritage Foundation in Hillbrow.
Led by Outreach Foundation’s Creative Director Gerard Bester and designed by the Hillbrow Theatre Project youth in association with heritage activist Flo Bird of the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation, this Hillbrow walk incorporates art and performance and offers a youthled perspective on the neighbourhood.
The Underground Booksellers of Johannesburg with Bridge Books in Joburg CBD.
Griffin Shea of the independent bookshop Bridge Books traces the inner-city’s literary history and informal book trade, with torytelling, poetry recitals and readings along the walk.
City Skate Tours with City Skate Tours in Marshalltown and Newtown.
Skateboard through the inner-city streets with City Skate Tours founder Ayanda Mnyandu as he explores early Joburg’s history and the rise of skater culture in the inner city.
Intouch Community Tour with In-Touch Youth Development & Community Justice in Orange Farm.
Orange Farm residents James Sekhonyane and Intouch Youth Development and Community Justice’s Phumla Lurayi showcase their neighbourhood with cultural and modern dance performances and visits to local landmarks such as the Great Stairs of Orange Farm.
Walk The Wilds with James Delaney at The Wilds, Yeoville, Berea and Louis Botha Coridor.
Artist James Delaney leads a walk through The Wilds, a beautiful historic park that Delaney has been instrumental in helping to restore and revive through community activism. The walk hightlights The Wilds hidden beauty and the ongoing restoration work happening there to transform this once dangerous place into a welcoming public space.
Time Flies and the Mystery of Braam’s Fountain with Dr Myer Taub (and collaborators from Wits Urban Institute and Michaelis School of Art) in Orange Grove, Norwood, Orchards and Ethel and Gray Park.
Independent academic researcher and theatre maker Dr Myer Taub leads an interactive treasure hunt through Orange Grove, Norwood, Orchards and Ethel and Gray Park making stops at prominent historic landmarks such as the Radium Beer Hall and the homes of leading anti-apartheid activists.
De-Tour: Living Landscapes after Forced Removals with Fietas Museum in Fietas and Sophiatown.
Fietas Museum founder Salma Patel together with Tshepo Letsoalo from Sophiatown The Mix trace the history of Fietas, Vrededorp and Sophiatown, remembering the vibrant neighbourhoods that were the victim of the devastating Apartheid policy of forced removals.
Walk Soweto with Notes with His and Hers Jams in Soweto’s Orlando East and West.
His and Hers Jams founder Tshidiso Setshogwe follows the history of Soweto’s musicians through the historic neighbourhoods of Orlando East and West. Celebrating Soweto’s rich music heritage the walk ends with performances by local musicians and dancers.
Led by a walk host, each JoziWalks experience is an opportunity to discover and give a voice to the stories of people who have shaped a community, and to kickstart conversations about the achievements and challenges of a place. The walks are a chance to present a personal take on the culture, social history and development of a neighbourhood. As an infrastructure developer the JDA’s work has a vital social impact and the #JoziWalks initiative encourages conversation about possible local solutions to neighbourhood issues. It is hoped that the #JoziWalks initiative inspires exploration and conversation about how Joburgers live in their neighbourhoods long after the walks have taken place.
The Walk My Jozi with #JoziWalks project is supported by Johannesburg In Your Pocket City Guide (PR and media), LNM Entertainment (events management) and official project photographers Joburg Photowalkers.
For all interview requests and press enquiries about #JoziWalks please contact
Melusi Hlatshwayo at walkmyjozi@gmail.com or on 087 808 1099.
Press release issued by Johannesburg In Your Pocket on behalf of:
Douglas Cohen, Executive Manager: Planning and Strategy, Johannesburg Development Agency
Follow #JoziWalks online – Facebook: facebook.com/joziwalks/
Twitter: twitter.com/joziwalks Instagram: instagram.com/joziwalks