The Death of Johannesburg 

A very moving video. While I don't agree with Apartheid (I was born an raised in SA in 1977) it's funny how the places has become a shit hole after the whites stopped being 'Racist'... speaks for itself. The New South Africa is spiralling into an abyss of decay as everything is slowly collapsing. It breaks my heart to see this once beautiful country going down like it is.

Am i wrong or this decline started when apartheid ended?

Sad, sad, sad. But why does none of this surprise me ? It's the story of Africa..

As a chinese, what I learned from history book is SA was a country which can make nuclear weapons, a country with high medical technology, a country with happy people, a country with many beautiful cities, now after traveled from JHB, I just feel everything just gone

I am truly shocked and very sad to see the destruction of the once beautiful,clean suburbs of Berea and Hillbrow where my fiancé and I used to live 40 years ago. Living in Australia now we always remember the hospitality and kindness of the South African people,the beautiful parks,restaurants and elegant apartments! Thank you for this video !

I'm from Greece my parents used to be immigrants there many years ago! They left when Nelson Mandela took the city! When they speak about Johannesburg they are crying! They loved the place very much! As I can understand blacks wanted to take revenge from whites and that's the result nowadays...a city or maybe a country when people are afraid to go out for a coffee! I am not telling that apartheid was good but people you don't see the difference???

my heart weeps for Johannesburg's decay.

Wow...tradgic. It is so bleak, from first world to third world.

South Africa is following in the footsteps of Rhodesia exactly.

for people who have never been to Johannesburg this is the truth.

Charmaine, Thank you so much for uploading this. Here in the USA, we have similar scenes in Detroit, Camden, East Saint Louis, east Dallas, east Cleveland, central Dayton, South Chicago, North Las Vegas, south Stockton, San Bernardino, Compton, and many more.

Very sad and we call this progress!

The most shocking thing to see is the buildings literally crumbling; plaster falling off, bricks missing, windows smashed. Those people will live in them until they are nothing more than piles of bricks, and then burn what's left before moving onto the next building to infect with their very presence. They are no better than parasites, unable to create anything, surviving by feeding off the work of others.

Amazing to see how fast SA decayed after changing governments

Wow, what a mess! My Hungarian refugee husband( this is not my site) went there in to Jo burg in 1975 while I stayed in NYC.We were young and wanted to move to a new and exciting country.After 6 weeks in S.Africa my husband returned to the US and we stayed there. He loved Africa though, said it was clean and friendly and so safe.Only reason he came back was we didn't have the funds for me to go over too and not work, He said there was no work for a white 20 year old women who didn't speak African. He really felt good there, would break his heart if I showed him this footage, just horrible, so glad we never moved over there and had kids over there.Husband almost wanted to send for me but him thinking of how many blacks vs whites over there just made him think in the end something bad was going to happen.

Thank you for this video. I hope plenty will watch this. So true what is said that our government just let anybody these days into South Africa. Im a 45 year old and has live my life in all comers of our country and believe me i have seen since we become the "new South Africa" how our "new government" has let things get worse and worse. In the mean time filling there own pockets with our hard working taxes. So sorry to see that our country is going backwards so fast. Dont think we will last long in this country. Just a pity that most in this country walks around not wanting to see what is happening to this amazing country. Such a pity we just put up a front for tourist.

Most of these pictures are familiar to me as I resided there and walked these very streets, and visited most of the restaurants/bars/shops. How awfully sad that once such a beautiful and vibrant city is now reduced to nothing. Just like the rest of Africa ....... it is heartbreaking to watch. Change is not always for the better. .....

These people obviously haven't understood anything about Diversity?

this is the difference between one people using their intelligence, discipline, hard work and money to build a nation verses another people using money (if they get it) to buy rims, crack, weave, scratch offs, menthols and bling bling.

So sorry for this once majestic city. The same thing has happened to many American cities like Detroit, Cleveland and part of Chicago. I just wonder about all those people who were calling for boycotts against SA in the 80s (I remember) like Sting, Bono, Bruce Springsteen etc could not look at the legacy of what they promoted. This is really sad.

Sad sad sad,the saddest is that it will get worst and worst.South Africa is gone. Before 1994 everyone had jobs and there was no poverty.................

the new south Africa... lets all enjoy!

Why destroy the infrastructure of a city ? Makes no sense at all. Without infrastructure the city will die along with all thier future hopes of making SA a strong economy and then reaping the benifits. Crazy to destry a city like this

The real city of wakanda!

south africa is headed for the same course as zimbabwe.

...Johannesburg has become like Detroit, Baltimore, parts of LA and most of Africa.....Umm...I wonder why?

As a Taiwanese , 20 yrs ago when I was young kid , I always imagined and I hread from Taiwanese media that South Africa is the first world country on par with Australia or Canada with skyscrapers , great architecture ,technology, clean and organized city with full of white people in the city. Then time goes by , I was shocked and learnt that SA was not what I expected at all. Everything is ruin doom fatally dangerous and in great declining. What is happening?

Awesome video. I just wish you would've included pictures of what it used to look like for comparison

This is the horror of multi-culturalism.........

Sad how a once powerful nation has fallen into disrepair and ill repute.

What the point really is that with everyone moving in from Africa coming to the land of Gold and honey we have this situation. If all the foreigners left we would be able to live together and all have enough jobs etc., the biggest problem was allowing all the people from up in Africa to come here with no money, no skills, so here we sit. I used to live in Hillbrow it was the most amazing place, but, now the Nigerian drug lords have taken it over...................and you can see the results in the video................ Democracy was a sad day in the life of South Africa. It has brought nothing but despair, crime, poverty and people doing anything to actually make a living, even if it means killing for a cell phone.............

The underlying point is, as humans overpopulate an area by the belief of entitlement or the continued belief they are victims of some injustice they will lack the spirit to take pride in, or care about community. I have traveled a lot this is certainly not limited to South Africa similar things have happened to Detroit after the flight of the auto industry and jobs. The places that are turning urban blight around are those communities that finally realize the government will not help so they have to get together and clean up the inner cities by taking thier future and destiny into thier own hands. The starting point that is working well are where communities are starting to grow charity food gardens inn the inner city open lots, in flower pot trays and on roof tops. Once people realize it's up to them to set an example of what can be other will follow. permaculturenews.org/2006/03/13/living-on-the-edge-the-balcony-garden-designers-guild/

My entire family fled from that shithole to the UK in 2018 and we could never go back. Just to sleep safely at night is priceless. No more tranquillisers, sleeping tablets and antidepressants. I had to sell up and uproot at age 60. Best move of my life. I cannot say anything good about that hell hole.

whats ur point charmaine? poverty is bad? you rather see all this brand new and shining and rich people in front of it? what is your precise point in this video ? Cause I don't see dirt and misery, I see people struggling to be part of that so called new south africa.

I lived in hillbrow aswell as berea and yeovile back in the 80.s the nightlife was superb...what a mess it's become. very sad but that's Africans for you!

I first lived in Leyds Street, Joubert Park and later in Small Street in the early to mid eighties and worked in the City centre. As a young woman I was able to go to the movies, restaurants, discos, clubs and pubs and walk homd safely after dark. Riff raff were kept off the streets and the drunk and disorderly were arrested and locked up by the police. The city streets were swept clean and washed with huge street washer trucks. Even during the day there was hardly a paper on the ground and street bins were regularly emptied on a daily basis. One could spend one's lunch time sitting in any of the parks in the the City Centre, without fear of being mugged or raped or even killed. Thirty years on, it's a whole different world, where one is not even safe driving through Jo'burg, let alone walking.

I mean this sort of poverty existed for blacks pretty much all the time so what's new? South Africa has always meant poverty for black people hasn't it?

Its so sad . South Africa was the most developed country in africa is now being depleted bcoz of negligence.

What a waste of good usable buildings !

equality has been achieved!

One can blame all that is wrong with Africa now on colonialism and the oppression of it's peoples by the white man but it can't explain the way most ex colonies are left to slowly crumble by it's freed peoples. South Africa was built by South Africans, black and white and nothing can justify the slow but sure disintegration caused by the same people and their supposed leaders who cried for freedom for such a long time. I live in Mozambique which has the same problems although sadly in a much more advanced state, neighbouring Zimbabwe which now is a mere shadow of the proud Rhodesia it once was. Freedom is great but if one doesn't want to use it for the benefit of the previously oppressed but now freed masses then we see Africa as it is now.

This is what the world asked for...."A new South Africa". Done yourself proud.

Anyone remember Mulah's record shop, he had the latest 12 inches mixes and blasted the music from some very loud Bose speaker. Oh the good old days. We used to ride the bus from the suburbs when I was a teenage and go and check out the HiFi shops and Mulah's.

It is future of any Western city. You just wait.

Detroit all over again!!

I used to call Jo'burg home, now I call England home, although not quite sure that's okay either.

So sad. I was brought up in Bellevue, student life in Yeoville, medical student in Hillbrow. Hillbrow in the 70s and 80s was a cosmopolitan hub; and yes I had black forest cake and coffee at Cafe Zurich.

States are right behind.

The death of a society............this is what the "rainbow" nation looks like........this is what black rule has accomplished..........

The difference between the Black South African mindset and Soviet Russia circa 1950 is VERY similar. Punish and sideline all the educated types who built and managed the country to "get even". They think that just taking from the rich and giving to poor solves problems. The ANC are too ignorant to understand that the leading edge thinkers are needed to run a modern economy. Without highly educated people familiar with advanced teck and finaince ability managing the show corruption and chaos is INEVITABLE. SA has now begun the attack on white farmers who have 200plus years of experience in efficient farming practices.... Watch SA food production continue to fall as the violent expropriation of farms accelerates in 2018. When SA becomes a another African basketcase the WEST should NOT send even 1 bag of rice and flour... SA will bring food shortages and trade deficits to their own citizens..This is/was an avoidable catastrophe. Racism towards whites will bring hell to poor blacks once the whites are gone when the economy freefalls.

the proof speaks for itself... abandon the place if you haven't already... when the engine goes out you get a NEW Car :) any place is a collective work of the people that comprise it...

I'm not surprised, how typical, the world should take notice

I lived in Hilbrow in the 80s & it was the place to be, smart cars, nice restaurants & shops etc now its an utter hellhole full of illegal immigrants, drugs & prostitution. Well done ANC..& its getting worse.

Eish....once everything is gone and everyone has nothing THAN will Africa be happy. Not long to go by the looks of things

this is a warning to the world ...we are all importing people that live like this and make beautiful cities into slums...very sad..

There is a racist undertone to this video that bothers me. Isn’t it the case that whites and their wealth fled to segregated neighbourhoods and thus left the centre to fall in ruins? This looks like American cities at the time of desegregation when “white flight” took place and left city centres impoverished. With the trends reversing I hope central Johannesburg will see a much deserved revival like Harlem or central LA!

i’ll tell you thing, these blacks from S Africa really know how to destroy a city.

seems like Soweto in a time of Apartheid was a better place to live than Joburg today...

I regularly spent night out in Jo'burg in the 1970s and 80s and never saw this level of poverty and degradation. People fought hard around the world to end apartheid and this is their reward...enjoy!

none of them takes social responsibility and someone else is doing it to them even though there is no one else there.... odd phenomenon of their group effort....

Johannesburg is South Africa's Detroit?

No foreign aid to Africa. No one feels one bit sorry for you turning the place into a sewer.

I actually got quite teary eyed watching this ...so sad what has become of what once a beautiful clean and attractive city, formerly known as the "City of Gold" gone to rack and ruin. Other cities is SA following suit at a rapid pace. Cry our beloved country .....

Once upon a time there was a frog which was dropped into water so hot that it leaped out, shocked - and saved itself. Later it was dropped into tepid water which it found very pleasant Then the water began to warm up but only imperceptibly so the frog remained lulled and relaxed, becoming more and more warm and sleepy...until it was too late to escape, and it was boiled to death! RIP Johannesburg

Now imagine this city with few people walking about. The result will be something resembling Detroit.

So sad and scary, too! Makes me fear for the future of this continent, considering SA to be the first-ranking country in Africa. We in Egypt have always looked with repect and admiration at the SA model. Why isn't the rest of the world doing anything?

the Zombie Apocalypsys.....

Left in 1983. So sad but expected.

White South Africans WILL have to form their own state with SA if they are going to survive and thrive. Western Cape?

had to stop watching half way through

I just feel sad to see it. Wish we can get it back.

Absolutely depressing

beniamino49 you are obviously not living here because if you were, you would not be sp flippant about the demise that is going n in South Africa, whilst those in control elevate themselves into the lap of luxury" that you mention & far fro the decay we see in his clip ! I unashamedly wish that there was proper upliftment & a cessation of the levels of demise & decay seen in this clip. If you think it's okay, maybe you should move out fro where ever it is that you are living & join these "junkyard rats". You'll be the first to get the heck out of there ! Upliftment is not what we see here. This is demise.

When viewing this video, do realise that you are merely staring into the future of every other part of South Africa within a decade. This is Africa, it has to be this way.

Pictures of Detroit in the 50's and now have the same contrasts and the same things in common.

I think this video has 2 sides. 1 it does show the decay of a few areas in the city and yes it's sad! I grew up in Yeovil and bez valley my dad ran cafe Zurich and owned a couple of night clubs in hillbrow and I have very fond memories of being there in the early days! Skating in Carlton centre and dining in hillbrow tower! But urban decay happens everywhere and unfortunately where you ha e extreme. Poverty you get things run down and looking in a state. Yes our government are rubbish but so were the last government too! Jo'burg is a vibrant city with a lot going for it, the city is getting new life breathed into her. Braamfontien has become a hip, trendy place to be with new bars, coffee shops, pattiseri's and restaurants with the neighbourhoods market at the forefront of it all! Then there's maboneng precinct in jeppe with arts on main , modern bars markets and all things foodie! New town has been on the up for some time Melville is getting rejuvenated! I'm actually in the process of opening up a restaurant there myself! Green side north cliff sandton bedfordview, Soweto, all buzzing! So you see if you look at Jozi with pessimistic eyes, you'll only see the gloom be optimistic this place has potential you just gotta give her a chance

Born in 1974, Lived in 19th Street, Jules Street Malvern. Then Highlands Road, Kensington & Then Where I am NOW. I would call it the Front Line if Google Earth View, Name, Bordering, Negative Name (worst if ever). First Car written off from a blast of AK 47 rounds. Engine Block saved my life. Ford XR 2 Door Sport. Going home from Germiston Tech, Bomb blast near the bus stop... Magistrates Court Bombing - Heard it all the way in to Kensington Derby Road. Then I did film extra's for extra cash - and The Fourth Reign Car Bombing Scene - I Was In. Have film & still footage. More fun to see how it is sort of done. Take to long. Anyway, I Love Your Country, My Country. I would rather be WITNESS to such things as short films THAN to go through USA = Yellow Stone Time Bomb, East Coast Way Over Due Earth Quake. Tornado Alley. Hurricane & Artic Blasts. Floods of Immigration. Mexico Cartels. Death Penalty in some States. Having to watch Baseball & Barbie Padded American Footballers. Blah Blah. Thanks. Just Wanted To Share. Stoned.

Beniamino, Charmaine pointed out that her views are irrelevant; she posted on someone's behalf. I see dirt and misery, and I see decay. I see vibrant areas that have gone backwards. I concede that the video maker clearly has an agenda. He or she is trying to express their own viewpoint.

I totally get your point. This is exactly why South Africans are so disgusted with zuma and his government, for spending millions of Rands on Nkandla, when so many people have to live like this. Our corrupt government do not care about these people. This is what happens to a city when it is not maintained. You mentioned the smell...we went on a tour of Hillbrow, about 10 years ago, the stench was unbelievable then! I am sure it must be far worse now. I grew up in Hillbrow, Joubert Park was my playground. There used to be a grandstand where dixy bands used to come and play their music on Sundays. In civilized countries, they look after their city centre...what does this say about us? Does poverty and filth go hand-in-hand? No, it doesn't...it is a mindset. If you are happy trashing everything and living in filth, you will do so, not matter where you live.

The is rather a sad misrepresentation of the Johannesburg CBD. Anyone who has visited the inner city will agree that this is not the case, instead, we see improvements and growth everyday. Most buildings have been restored, and many multi national corporations and government departments call this city home. It is a working progress, and anyone with the vision and faith for this country's future is welcome to take part. I, myself, live in a gorgeous apartment in the Marshaltown borough, and I remain perplexed by such lies, negativity and longing for such dark past behind, to join the many South Africans progressing towards the future.

what was the objective of this video? Is it to show us the the gooverment of today is failing Johannesburg or gloryfying the old apartheid regime? Whatever your object is, it failed to come up with a solution for where we are. It only stirs up more racial tension as it suggests that black destroy more than the build...forgetting that the workforce for the apartheid regime were black people. This is not a black issue nor a white issue, this is a south african issue. Do you think black people like the state that our cities are in? Pretoria is better and it was also ran by the "NEW SOUTH AFRICA GOVERMENT". I am disappointed of the degrading comments made by fellow white south africans. We are indeed moving backwards, with no solution of our social ills and such videos continue to divide the nation

Welcome to the real world!

I blame ANC for all of this when it went to power in 1994. But not all is lost my fellow South African, things are about to change. A lot of the comments are from 7 years ago and it sounds like a lot if y'all gave up. ANC is going and ActionSA will be in power one day. I still have high hopes for South Africa. I love my country so much and I believe that it will change for the better

I remember in 2006 or so watching blog "dead of Joh" and thinking "eugenics had it right". After all bs nation need to know how to build things, real things like houses, cars, severs... If nation cannot do it will be poor.

The Leaping Impala are alive & well! Yes they were vandalised, the brass horns & hooves were hacked of and sold, but fortunately they were saved from total annihilation by the Oppenheimer's and fully restored by the original artists son. They now take their place in the Anglo American Campus. Nationalisation of the mines may however see them extinct.

I am going to share this because I think awareness is what's needed. The beautiful creations deliberately destroyed and there is no excuse for filth. So many places in SA have the destroy and filth trend....everywhere. What a waste of money to rebuild and restore. 43mill people live here and 15mill unemployed and at least 25 mill are poor. The 3mill people that are tax payers can never correct the problem. So sad. Just start with....stop the filth.

This is a terrible representation of Johannesburg. Just go on a Dlala Nje tour and you will see that Ponte, Hillbrow and Berea have turned around and are fantastic and clean. Buildings are being managed well and repaired. We can't live in the past. Joburg is a vibrant city where things change daily. I love living here! So many people from around the globe still visit and love it!

I wonder what the nationality of the people living here is. Are they South Africans, born in Johannesburg, or born elsewhere? Foreigners who are legal immigrants? Refugees? Illegal immigrants? People in transit? Street children?

Post apartheid alot of wealthy companies with billions invested in SA pulled out because they had no idea what to expect. It was no longer worth the financial risk when they all knew what would eventually happen, Incompetence and corruption.

As a child I always wondered about the meaning of this bible verse which was rammed down our throats "You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me," I think it is called "when the chickens come home to roost"

I understand the pain the whites SA's are experiencing but be cheerful that a crime is being rectified. Hurling insults at each solves absolutely nothing at all. Black people have a long hard road ahead of them, wish them well and go in peace.

Kumbayah........ Everything is lost, and nobody cares about it. A truly sad story of what was once a prosperous and safe nation.

so so sad , this is black majority rule !.....look ANC....look what you have done to the jewel of africa !

I lived in Joburg for a few years in the70's. It was never pretty, but it was clean, vibrant and safe. Quite unbelievable that it has turned into a such a shithole.

Very nice videography, there is some improvement, but its slow, there is hope that the beauty will not perish. but we just have greedy opulence here. they were fixing what is not broken, they destroyed what worked. above all we have the best weed here.sunshine, love , hate. All things must pass.

Cry the Beloved Country. Paul Kruger must be rolling in his grave. Was the Boer war fought for this?

The only problem with these buildings, that used to be first class, would never let blacks in there except as servants, or janitors.

what a shame, looks terrible, new South Africa? more like Slum South Africa.

We cry over land kill for land but here is a beautiful city called Johannesburg turned into a hellhol how can thy who took over after 1994 let this happen

Café Zurich and made the best cakes around. I loved it, what happened to the guy. I had my tour through Hillbrow, first cake and then the musicshop opposite side. Nedbankgebou was not far. I could cry, was a part of my life. Thanks for posting it, Charmaine