Ponte City Challenge

The Ponte City Challenge is one of the most unique activities in Joburg. Run up 948 stairs to the top of Ponte City Apartments, also known as the Vodacom building, for a fitness challenge like no other. The first time we did the challenge a couple of weeks after landing in Joburg in 2021, we came across the Ponte City Challenge hosted by the NGO, Dlala Nje (more on them below). Since then we’ve run the challenge 3 times!

Ponte City Apartments

The Ponte City Challenge is a race up the 54 stories of the Ponte City Apartments tower. The tower has a rich history. It is the tallest residential tower in Africa and has a completely hollow core (picture a long bagel building). The building was originally built as luxury apartments in the 1970s for the city’s rich, white elite.

However, the surrounding neighborhoods soon gave way to crime and drugs, and the tenants fled for the suburbs. Then drug lords hijacked the building and it became the world’s tallest urban slum with more than 10,000 squatters occupying it. The core was used as a giant garbage dump as the new residents threw garbage (and sometimes even bodies) down the core. The trash piled up 5 floors high before the building owners hired an eviction company to turn out the drug lords and squatters. By 2011 the clean-up was mostly complete and now the tower is home to middle-class city workers and students. Read more about the building here.

Ponte has one of the best views in downtown Joburg, especially during Jacaranda Season.

Dlala Nje

Dlala Nje means “just play” in Zulu. The community center runs inner-city immersions and experiences besides hosting activities for the Ponte City community. For tourists (and locals too), they organize several walking tours around the downtown area (such as this Hillbrow tour and Yeoville) and host events, drinks, and dinners on the 51st floor of Ponte City Apartments. You can sign up for the race and tours on their site. Since our first visit, we’ve gone on several tours with Dlala Nje. They are all amazing and I recommend each and every one.

I just love the elevators at Ponte City, too.

The Logistics

• Hosted once a month at 7am
• Breakfast included
• Parking available
• Book online

The challenge usually occurs once a month over the weekend. It starts at 7am and I suggest you arrive at 6:45am to get situated. There is secure parking inside Ponte City and you’ll be greeted by a Dlala Nje representative at the gate.

If you are driving, I suggest you arrive from the Rosebank side; don’t just blindly follow Google Maps because it can take you through downtown (I did that once and was honestly anxious the entire time). I suggest you put in Rosebank Mall first and then Ponte City for directions so that you arrive from Joe Slovo Dr to Lily Ave from the eastern part of town.

After you arrive (and park), you’ll go to the Dlala Nje community center. Be sure to stare up at the 54-level building you’re about to climb.

A picture from each time we did the race! Hi to our friends Amy, Nick, and James!

Running the Ponte City Challenge

The race is organized in three running groups spaced a few minutes apart to limit congestion on the small staircases. Each time I’ve done the race, I hung back with the second group with my moderate fitness level.

The race begins with a warm-up down six parking garage levels and a photo break at the hollow core of the tower.

The core is insane.

And then it starts!

The first time we did the race, after the 7th floor, I started a fast-paced climb that only lasted till the 11th floor… I kept my head down and kept hoping the end was near. On the 30th floor, the sun started shining in and I looked up and realized I was more than halfway: woohoo! Between the 30th and 54th floors, my breath labored but if I stopped who knows how long my “break” would be…

Apparently, there is only one way up the tower. Really. Really? NO. Because during the 14 minutes and 25 seconds it took me to reach the top, I (unsurprisingly) took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up on the wrong staircase leading to the top… Who would manage this except me? Unknown. I have the worst sense of direction unfortunately paired with the confidence of thinking I know what I’m doing. Instead, I followed some other runners back down to the 51st floor rather than register my race completion with a staff person I never saw on the other side of the building. I doubt this will happen to you.

The Breakfast

The breakfast spread is great at the end of the race on Dlala Nje’s 51st Floor Bar. There is an array of fruit, cheese, jam, and Magwinya (also known as African fat cakes). Tea and coffee are provided too! You’ll probably stay 30 minutes or so at the top.

Dlala Nje occasionally has a sponsor for their runs and hands out prizes at the end. The first time we ran the race, Wilhelm did it in around 7 minutes and his race time earned him a free pair of socks as a prize! The second time we did the race, he won a blanket, a water bottle, and a gorgeous print of Joburg taken from Ponte City.

How Long Will the Challenge Take?

I’ve done the challenge 3 times and wow! You don’t need to be incredibly fit to do this activity. I’m only moderately active and can do the challenge in around 15 minutes. Fitness fanatics like my husband, Wilhlem, can do the challenge in 8-ish minutes. The time to beat is around 5 minutes!

You can take up to 30 minutes to walk the 54 floors.

Is it worth it? YES. Physically, the climb was not as bad as I thought it would be even though I don’t think I’m generally that fit. The views are amazing and you’d be joining a fun group of runners of all ages and physical fitness levels. The Dlala Nje staff are also very encouraging and energizing which helps since the race starts early in the morning.

No pain, no gain! Encouraging words on one of the doors as I ran up.