Great Johannesburg

Great Johannesburg

Zama zamas running riot, water cuts, blackouts, exploding streets, political instability. The list goes on. Is the City of Gold in a death spiral?

Award-winning journalist Nickolaus Bauer examines the current crisis by starting right at the beginning, with Johannesburg’s origins as a cauldron of cultures and a hustler’s haven. He looks at how a city of migrants turned into a xenophobic hotspot, how the politics of gold, the shadow of apartheid and the evolution of the tsotsi – crime and criminality – affect life in Johannesburg today, and what can be done about these. With chapters on redlining, the walkability of the city, corporate corruption, mayoral musical chairs and the proliferation of illegal backyard buildings, Great Johannesburg provides a comprehensive analysis of the current malaise, as it outlines possible solutions.