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Dlala Nje’s Hillbrow Walking Tour

ByThe Scribs & Nibs

Whether you’re a local or visitor in Joburg, there are tons of city tours to experience. Dlala Nje is a Joburg tour leader. The “This is Hillbrow” walking tour is just one of the inner-city tours offered and it’s a great starting point to learn about Joburg and how it’s changed over the years.

Wilhelm and I did the tour with his parents who were visiting from Sweden.

Safety on the tour

First, we get rid of some stigma: the tour is safe. On the tour, you will be accompanied by your guide and likely 2 additional locals who are familiar with the people and the neighborhood.

Be a city-smart traveler—dress casual and try not to bring a purse if you can. Instead, look for a jacket with inner pockets. If you want to take pictures, just ask the guides if it’s okay and ask them to stop if you are walking. You will likely not need your wallet at all. The only thing that looked tempting to buy were veggies, so maybe bring some cash for that.

You can drive to Ponte City as there is parking for the apartment complex. However, it’s also easy to Uber there.

The Hillbrow Walking Tour Experience

The Basics

Signing up for the tour is easy. Just book online to get in touch with Dlala Nje. You’ll get an email with the meet-up information. Security at Ponte City is legit, and you won’t be able to enter the building (after you park) without your guide present.

You’ll start with a brief about Dlala Nje, meet your guide (hopefully Sifiso!) and guide helpers (who are always amazing). The walking tour took our group around 1 hour and 15 minutes to do and we walked around 2.5km (according to my phone app). The full tour, with the Ponte City building visit and lunch, is around 3 hours.

We asked so many questions and our guides always had an answer.

Highlights from the Hillbrow walking tour

Now, what would be the point of me telling you everything you’re going to learn on the tour for yourself? Here are the highlights from our tour.

Hijacked buildings

The first stop on our tour was around a hijacked building. Hijacked buildings are abandoned buildings that get taken over by “slumlords,” who illegally rent out the building far past capacity. Usually, these buildings do not have city services like water or electricity, though some buildings manage to tap into city lines. No pictures are allowed here.

Ithemba properties

We were taken to a revitalized area managed by Ithemba, a property management company focusing on providing secure rental housing in Joburg CBD. The area had a different feel to it, and you’ll see why on the tour; hint: pay attention to the trees.

Telkom tower

I love the Telkom tower, an iconic staple of Joburg’s skyline. You’ll stand right beneath the tower on the tour and pass the “gumtree” advertisements.

The Hillbrow vibe

One of my favorite things about the tour was getting a super local perspective on the neighborhood. In fact, we even walked by one of the guide’s parent’s apartment buildings as we walked around.

I loved this interesting sculpture we passed right as we got back to Ponte City. It looks like it has something to do with recycling and the future…

Ponte City

Upon return to Ponte City, you’ll be taken into the building’s famous core, which was used as a giant garbage dump during the years the building was hijacked by drug loads. Residents threw garbage (and sometimes even bodies) down the core, and 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.

At the end of the tour, you’ll get a traditional African lunch box with food served from a nearby stall. Vegetarians can be accommodated. I could have eaten the spinach for days. DAYS.

Isn’t this bathroom sink view amazing?

Other Dlala Nje Experiences

Besides the Hillbrow walking tour, Wilhelm and I have also done the Taste of Yeoville Tour. This is an afternoon/evening tour that will require a big appetite as you walk to three different restaurants in the Yeoville area. We had the same guide, Sifiso, for both our tours—he’s awesome! The tour is very different from the Hillbrow Experience so it’s not like you should do one and not the other (unless you don’t like tasting African food…?)

If you don’t have all day, just plan to do a short Ponte City Experience.

For a queer take on Hillbrow, try out the Pride Walk tour. This tour will share these experiences of queer people in the past and learn about the fight for queer rights in South Africa.

Besides tours, Dlala Nje hosts events, drinks, and dinners on the 51st floor of Ponte City. We’ve gone for sundowners and it’s just been the two of us! Need something with more adrenaline? The Ponte City Challenge is a monthly race up the 54 stories building. I’ve done the race twice!

Dlala Nje Activity Suggestions

If you’re a visitor to Joburg, do the Hillbrow Tour and then go to the Rooftop at Hallmark House (my favorite rooftop bar in Joburg) for afternoon drinks over the weekend.

Joburgers, you gotta do everything! Adventure seekers should do the Ponte City Challenge. Just want the views without the workout? Go on a date at 5101 Sundowners for an amazing sunset. Plan for the Hillbrow tour for a late weekend morning and another day do the Yeoville tour for a dinner experience. Any of these activities would also make an amazing birthday gift.

More about Dlala Nje

Dlala Nje, which means “just play” in Zulu, operates out Ponte City Towers, also known as the “Vodacom Tower,” because of the bright Vodacom advertisement that rings the building. The organization began operation in 2014 and also manages a community center for the building’s resident children.

Book your tour now!

My tour experience took place in December 2021.

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