Hillbrow Walking Tour

It was laid out as a residential suburb during 1894 and 1895, with Richard Currie auctioning the stands. In 1897 it became part of Johannesburg's Sanitary Board. After World War Two, developers started purchasing the stands at values beyond their worth and eventually turned it into blocks of flats.

That's when the story of this neighbourhood begins, the discovery of Gold in Johannesburg saw people from all over the world flying into the city and Hillbrow welcomed all of them. Due the political status in South Africa at the Times Hillbrow was meant to be a white area according to the Group Area's Act...

Hillbrow was always very cosmopolitan and very mixed racially since it's discovery and nothing has changed today; it's just more Afro-cosmopolitan...

Depending on when you where born this question could be answered in many different ways...If we go back as far as 30 years the white Europeans mostly Jews will tell you it was the black people that messed up Hillbrow if you go a little back the Chinese would it's the Jews who messed up Hillbrow and if you talk to a lot of the locals now they will tell you, its the foreigners who destroyed Hillbrow...

The million dollar question is what really happened to Hillbrow because 3 decades ago it was the Sandton of South Africa and now its the place everyone tells you not to visit.

What do you think happened ?

Hillbrow as two of Johannesburg's iconic towers in less then 3km walking distance.

Home to the first gay and lesbian bar in South Africa on Pretoria Street. The area is as African as it gets, you will hear anything from Congolese, Swahili to Narian Hebu in less then a minute.

Home to many randlords in Johannesburg, Hillbrow has some of the oldest house in Johannesburg..

The experience will also include a local drink in one of the local bars