Filming in Johannesburg

JOHANNESBURG: THE CITY OF GOLD

Johannesburg has come a long way to be where it is today. From being founded purely because of its gold mines, to become a prominent city for the rich and fortune-seekers, and soon after, its fall from grace during and after apartheid – its basic geography reflects this social engineering disaster. This city has had many personas.

However, this turbulent and rich history offers a niche perspective, especially to those looking for the unique and odd.

Johannesburg As A Filming Location

As far as filming locations go, Johannesburg will set an extremely high bar. The city itself is photogenic. When you put aside the sense of abandonment and look through that rough exterior, you will actually find its hidden beauty. The narrow streets are cast in the shadow of oddly shaped, Dutch-English mixed, asymmetrical high-rise concrete blocks.

Even in this concrete jungle, there is a strong sense of nature, trees poking out of the pavements in a wide pallet of colours. Sunsets and sunrises cover the city in gold, as is fitting, especially in the winter when the leaves start to bronze.

The weather is one of the easiest to manage in terms of the other provinces. In the summer, it’s hot and wet, in the winter, it’s cold and dry. It really doesn’t get any simpler. So as far as planning goes, it takes a load off!

Landmarks

Johannesburg is littered with landmarks that are beautiful, and each holds its own story so unique and powerful in its own way. They are stories worth being told…

Gandhi Square

Gandhi Square is in the very heart of the old CBD. It is named after Mahatma Gandhi, who came to Johannesburg to study law, and has a statue of him cast in bronze. The square had once fallen into severe disregard but has become a prominent landmark in the city. This, like many others, serves as a reminder of our past – and the history of more than a city. It is a history that ties in with South Africa, England and the Dutch – and the struggle that existed in this triangle.

Maboneng Precinct And Jewel City

The Maboneng precinct is an up-and-coming district of the CBD. Where it used to lie in ruin and decay, there is a student-driven hipster movement taking the city by storm, and the Maboneng Precinct is the first of many to undergo rejuvenation. Art and authentic culture, café’s, restaurants and music are now filling the streets.

Jewel City is a small area in the precinct, undergoing residential improvements to offer high-quality and low-cost accommodation, mainly to students. New, modern architecture is starting to stand out among the brutalist buildings. It is a sight to behold – change in the making.

Ponte Tower

Speaking of change, Ponte Tower, the gleaming gem of Johannesburg, is the very definition of change. The iconic circular building stands out in the neighbourhood of Hillbrow. It had once been the place to be back in the day, with the rich and famous, people of all trades from all over the world trying to make a living for themselves in this wealthy neighbourhood. Unfortunately, the area descended into chaos during apartheid, and the money invested there slowly migrated north. What remained were the forgotten buildings which were quickly taken up by the slum lords, where they were in control for over ten-years

It has been reclaimed, and much like the Maboneng Precinct, it is now undergoing rejuvenation. The Ponte Tower still shines in the rough, but there is work in progress. It is one of the most unique locations to film in. The inside of the building; the core, is hollow throughout, and standing in the very centre, it feels like looking at the sky through a lens.

These landmarks are only but a few to mention, and it goes to show how history-packed this city is.