Sara-Jayne Makwala King13 February 2025 | 13:04

Putting the shine back on the City of Gold

Efforts are underway to clean up parts of Johannesburg CBD and change people's perceptions of the area.

Putting the shine back on the City of Gold

Johannesburg / Pixabay: mzgiaconte

Bongani Bingwa is joined by Stephen du Preez, founder of Local Abode and a proud partner of Jozi My Jozi.

Listen below:

The City of Gold hasn’t been shining like it should, says 702 Breakfast host Bongani Bingwa.

But a local property management firm is part of efforts to transform parts of Johannesburg, restoring safety, cleanliness, and vibrancy to the city.

Stephen du Preez says they want to change people's perceptions of Jozi.

"When we looked at the inner city, we realised that the experience people have coming in, isn't always the best experience."
- Stephen du Preez, Founder of Local Abode & Partner at Jozi My Jozi

Much of the focus, says Du Preez, will be on beautifying the 12 'gateways' to the City.

Work is already underway to revamp the iconic Nelson Mandela Bridge. 

"We'll be installing artwork, making sure the traffic lights are working, there'll be CCTV cameras..."
- Stephen du Preez, Founder of Local Abode & Partner at Jozi My Jozi

There's also an initiative called 'CBD Friday Clean-up', a collaboration between the province, the city, and the private sector.

"We've identified hotspots in the city that require urgent intervention... and every Friday we go into these spaces, with the idea to clean it up."
- Stephen du Preez, Founder of Local Abode & Partner at Jozi My Jozi

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the discussion.