Johannesburg, South Africa:
Divisions and wealth

The great city of gold (egoli in Zulu) is falling apart a little more each day, facing an existential and multifaceted crisis: crumbling infrastructure (water, electricity, roads, networks, etc.), weak local government, and one of the highest crime rates in the world. The city centre (CBD) is dying and gradually emptying, leaving vacant, vulnerable buildings that are either falling into ruin or being illegally occupied by gangs. Yet despite this devastated landscape, Johannesburg remains the richest city in Africa. It is renewing itself by increasing the number of its ‘centres’. Since the 1990s, Sandton, to the north, has become the new financial heart of the metropolis, attracting many multinationals, banks, insurers and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). It is often referred to as Africa's richest square mile, in reference to its luxury boutiques and business towers. Another example is Braamfontein, a hybrid, innovative, cultural and university district. The urban sprawl is drawing closer to the country's administrative capital, Pretoria, 50 km away, and is in stark contrast to the impressive offices of the country's presidency (Union Buildings), embassies, prestigious universities and a safer and better-maintained urban environment. Together, Johannesburg and Pretoria form a region of more than 10 million people, generating nearly 35% of the national GDP of the continent's leading economic power. Through the SDF 2040 plan, the state and municipalities are attempting to structure and modernise the entire geographical area. However, racial and social divisions have persisted since the end of apartheid in 1994, exacerbated by the influx of migrants seeking a better future. In Joburg, townships are still very much alive, like Alexandria, opposite the proud towers of Sandton. And Soweto (population 1.5 million), tragically emblematic, is struggling to transform itself into a functional environment, symbolising all the promises and pitfalls of the rainbow nation.