Are you curious about Hillbrow but held back by its reputation? Or have you wondered what’s happening with the Jukskei River? This year’s #JoziMyJoziWalks lineup covers everything from iconic landmarks and historic neighbourhoods to natural landscapes and creative hubs in Joburg. This is your opportunity to explore the city on foot through a series of safe, engaging, and community-driven experiences. Jozi My Jozi Walks is an initiative of Jozi My Jozi in collaboration with Johannesburg In Your Pocket and Gauteng Tourism.
Among the 2025 submissions, a few major themes bubbled to the surface. Community is still Joburg’s heartbeat, with neighbourhoods showing off the everyday magic of people connecting, supporting each other, and shaping their shared identity. The city’s creative spark is impossible to ignore as art, music, and culture keep Joburg buzzing as a hub of fresh ideas. Food, as always, tells the story of our diverse history, whether it’s sizzling in street markets or plated up in quirky eateries. And even in tough times, Joburg’s resilience shines through, with creativity and activism leading the charge for change. Green shoots of sustainability – urban farms, clean water projects, and eco-friendly ideas – are proving that the city is as inventive about survival as it is about celebration.
The lineup for Jozi My Jozi Walks
Fourteen walking tours have been selected to be part of the 2025 programme. From performative treasure hunts to tastings of alligator pepper, keep reading for the tours you can look forward to as part of #JoziMyJoziWalks on Sat, Sep 27 and Sun, Sep 28, 2025.Note: Spaces for each tour are limited, so be sure to secure your spot for the tour(s) you're interested in asap.
What to expect on Sat, Sep 27, 2025
1. ALEXANDRA IMPACT TOUR
Led by entrepreneur Josephine Katumba, the Alexandra Impact Tour will take visitors into the heart of Johannesburg's oldest township, Alexandra, exploring Gcwalisa’s community-embedded outlets that tackle food insecurity, unemployment, and plastic waste. Alongside visiting local spazas, eateries, Alexandra High School, the Alex Museum, and Nelson Mandela’s first Joburg home, participants will connect with community anchors and youth entrepreneurs. Book your spot here.
Time: 09:00 – 10:30
2. HILLBREWED WALKING TOUR
Discover Hillbrow as a “melting pot of Africa” as multi-talented chef Tebogo Mabye, who you may remember from Masterchef South Africa 2024, hosts a walking tour of Hillbrow that will talk you through some of its forgotten stories, and what makes this inner city neighbourhood unique. Mabye will lead you to cool hidden spots while also providing insights into MES enrichment programs and its impact on the Hillbrow community. Expect martial arts demonstrations, flash mobs, art sights, and tasty bites along the way. Book your spot here.
Time: 09:00 – 12:00
3. INDIGENOUS FOOD TOUR
If you’re curious about Joburg’s indigenous African cuisine and the vibrant mix of cultures in the City Centre, this tour is not to be missed. Hosted by the team at Exotically Divine Pulse, based at the historic Drill Hall, the walk traces traders and markets that specialise in traditional produce and ingredients. Expect a flavourful journey into African food heritage – from yam tastings to visits to Mozambican and Ethiopian markets – along with engaging conversations about tiger nuts and alligator pepper. The tour unfolds over two sessions. Book your spot here.
Time: 11:00 – 12:30
4. MELVILLE UNLOCKED: THE VOICES OF OUR VILLAGE
Explore Melville with Aubrey Moloto – photographer, videographer, writer, and founder of Snaps on 7th. For Moloto, Melville is rare in urban South Africa: a neighbourhood where community truly works. It’s not just the cafés or weekend markets that make it special, but seeing “how residents, artists, entrepreneurs, and local organisations collaborate to solve problems, celebrate heritage, and build connections that enrich everyday life.” This immersive tour offers the chance to meet the people who make Melville tick. Expect church visits, hill climbs, and tasty bites brought to you by Gourmet Gimba. With plenty of walking involved, comfy shoes are recommended. Book your spot here.
Time: 09:00 – 13:00
5. BRIXTON THROUGH THE LENS OF THE YOUTH
Join educator and cultural practitioner Camille Behrens along with Shade Community to see Brixton through the lens of the youth. This walking tour invites you to experience Brixton as a lively, interconnected neighbourhood where cultures and generations meet in the streets, parks, and alleyways. From bicycles, skateboards, and children’s games spilling into public spaces to murals, music, and performances animating the urban landscape, the area thrives on creativity and community. The walk also explores how waste, art, and play shape new ways of imagining the city. Along the way, you’ll encounter Kingston Frost Park’s Saturday buzz of cycling lessons, great photo opportunities at Brixton Hill, soccer games, art classes, and a visit to Bronwyn Findlay’s studio. Plus, enjoy amagwinya from Ma Jeanette’s kitchen. Book your spot here.
Time: 11:00 – 13:00
6. FOOD, ART, AND ACTIVISM IN FORDSBURG
There's more to Fordsburg than just the Oriental Plaza. Co-led by South African consultant and wellness practitioner Faarooq Mangera of Also My Jozi Tours and student Lehlomela Khumalo of Jozi Table, this tour of Fordsburg weaves together memory, migration, food, art, and activism across Fietas, Mayfair East, Burgersdorp, Fordsburg, and Old Chinatown. The experience is a sensory journey and a deeply personal walk through mosques, homes, and activist histories, centring community memory, resilience, and the city’s layered stories across generations. Book your spot here.
Time: TBC
7. THE MAGICAL KENSINGTON VILLAGE
Led by Ufrieda Ho, Dionne McDonald, Fleur Honeywell, and Bronwyn Krige, here's a chance to take back the pleasure of walking our city streets at night. On this route, you will explore parts of one of Joburg's oldest (and hilliest) suburbs of Kensington to reach a cherished but hidden lookout point with sweeping views over the city. Expect lit giant puppets, a lantern procession, a musical backdrop (and some really affordable G&Ts). Book your spot here.
Time: 18:30 – 21:00
Tours to book for on Sun, Sep 28, 2025
8. ALEXANDRA: WALK, LISTEN, CONNECT
Ever wanted to taste a proper Kasi Kota? This is your chance. Led by director and founder of Abby's Township Tours, Abby Sechoaro invites visitors into one of Joburg’s oldest and most storied townships. This walking tour uncovers Alexandra’s layered history through its worker hostels, striking murals, bustling markets, and thriving street culture. Along the way, residents share personal stories of resilience, creativity, and pride, offering an authentic connection to the township’s past and present. Despite what you may think of this township, this tour is all about “restoring the dignity of its people” as Sechoaro says. Book your spot here.
Time: TBC
9. THE MOVING GARDEN STUDIO
Time and time again, we are reminded that Wits University is much more than just an academic institution. Led by Nkululeko 'Nkuli' Motloung of urban farming initiative Plenty Green Africa includes a guided tour of the Wits Food Sovereignty Hub – a dynamic space in the heart of Johannesburg demonstrating how urban agriculture, ecological sustainability, and community-driven initiatives can transform city living and address food insecurity. Savour a healthy, garden-inspired grazing table (using ingredients that you forage) with chef and recipe developer Eating With Marbz and get creative with a painting session led by Wildcraft Art Studio. Plus, expect curated vinyl sounds celebrating urban and indigenous culture. Keen to learn more about regenerative gardening and permaculture? Book your spot here.
Time: 11:00 – 13:00
10. WATER FOR THE FUTURE
The most interesting things in Joburg are often accidental, and the start of NGO Water for the Future is indicative of this. In Lorentzville, director Romy Stander started a simple mission of cleaning the Jukskei River eight years ago – which has since snowballed to benefit the surrounding community. Stander, along with social media manager, comms intern, and facilitator Muskaan Malik and lead tour guide Nhlanhla Mohlasedi will host a walking tour of the Jukskei River, sharing solutions for climate change in the city as they go. The route holds deep historical value, tracing stories of how the river has shaped the people and the city around it. This is an opportunity to experience the intersection of history, science, community, and nature restoration. Book your spot here.
Time: 11:00 – 13:00
11. SOWETO ART MILE
Built in 1969 by Ephraim Batana and Caroline Kinini Tshabalala, the iconic Eyethu Cinema lives on through the family-run Eyethu Heritage Hall – a cultural venue on the first floor of Eyethu Lifestyle Centre in Mofolo Central, Soweto. Nowadays, the Hall honours the cinema’s legacy with colourful pop-art-style exhibits that capture the spirit of its golden era. The founding couple’s granddaughter, Lerato Tshabalala-Mini will lead a tour of this space along Soweto's "Art Mile". Each stop highlights Soweto’s resilience and artistry, from Robert Sobukwe’s home to the Eyethu Heritage Hall and Inside-Out Music Jams, ending at Mofolo Art Centre with food, crafts, and music. Choral and local brass band performances, poetry, jazz, and a market all activate the historic and cultural spaces along the route. This tour is all about you getting involved, as Tshabala says “We are not gonna just listen, we're gonna participate”. Book your spot here.
Time: TBC
12. TIME FLIES AND THE GREAT MACE
Dr Myer Taub (a past #JoziWalks alumnus) and Zeno Jacobs of Wits School of Arts are putting together a treasure hunt engaging with the Wits University campus and surrounds in Braamfontein and Newtown. While the details remain under wraps, as that's part of the fun, we guarantee this will be unlike anything you've experienced before. Book your spot here.
Time: 14:00 – 17:00
13. MADE AND REMADE – A WALK OF JOBURG SERIES
This walking tour explores Braamfontein Werf (Milpark), tracing Johannesburg’s story of reinvention through 44 Stanley, Atlas Studios, and The Test Bakery. Beginning with coffee at Bean There and stops like the Drum Archive Store, Mr Vinyl, and the Library of Things We Forgot to Remember, participants will encounter cultural spaces that connect the city’s past and present. Guided by the enthusiastic Tebogo Galagala from Banditz Bicycle Club, the tour highlights how old industrial buildings have been transformed into hubs for food, fashion, film, and design, offering an engaging, people-focused experience rooted in Joburg’s spirit of transformation. Book your spot here.
Time: TBC
14. KWA MAI MAI MARKET AND EYES OVER THE WALLS OF JEPPESTOWN
Discover two sides of Joburg’s living heritage in the City Centre. For the first part of this tour, food technologist Sithuli Mbeje and craft expert Eugenie Drakes take you to the Kwa Mai Mai market, where rural Zulu traditions thrive in the city through food, craft, and community. Here, you'll get to taste shisa nyama and other local delicacies. Then, join professional photographer and facilitator Thusi Vukani of Too Greenish Movement for a walk through the historic Jeppestown, revealing fading urban spaces, rich architecture, and vibrant community life, culminating in a visit to Wolhuter Hostel and a performance by an Isicathamiya dance group. Expect conversations on food, identity, and the informal economy. Book your spot here.
Time: 09:00 – 13:00
SAVE THE DATE for the 2025 edition of Jozi My Jozi Walks on Sat, Sep 27 and Sun, Sep 28, 2025. In addition to the walks officially part of the programme, there'll be a broader lineup of walks around the city from known Joburg tour guides and heritage experts. It's going to be jam-packed and wonderful – you don't want to miss it. Get your tickets now.
