Daily Maverick·South Africa·Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 07:00 AM
PHOTO ESSAY: Johannesburg’s walls are giant canvases for the city’s stories
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Bridget Hilton-Barber
Jozi is the graffiti and mural art capital of Africa. The city has become a premier destination for street art, thanks to its amazing combo of massive industrial canvases, a turbulent political history and active urban renewal projects like the Jozi My Jozi movement.
From Newtown, Braamfontein and Maboneng to Soweto and Alex, there are incredible works to be seen. The city has fostered world-renowned graffiti pioneers and contemporary muralists and attracted international artists.
As the authoritative independent travel publication Rough Guide says: Johannesburg’s street art is most meaningful as an ever-changing public gallery, capturing the present moment. DM
An entire house in Mzimhlope in Orlando West, Soweto, was painted by local signwriters in the colours of the Orlando Pirates football team. (Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber)More than 100m tall, the Soweto cooling towers combine mural art with commercial brands. (Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber)This metal art installation on Queen Elizabeth Bridge is a new piece by MojaNation led by creative director Farai Mafurirano. (Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber)This Giggling Hyena was created by Malik, known online as @malikarts. (Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber)This delightful Charlie Chaplin mural in Braamfontein was created by local graffiti and street artist Riot Top Two, who blends pop culture iconography with urban grit. (Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber)Ethiopian Woman of the Mursi Tribe, in Beacon Street in Maboneng, on the walls of Access City by Dbongz Mahlathi. (Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber)Dbongz Mahlathi's Crate-ivity project in Maboneng. (Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber)The Purple Shall Govern is a 10-storey public artwork in Juta Street in Braamfontein by US street artist Shepard Fairey. It commemorates an incident in Cape Town in 1989 when police sprayed anti-apartheid demonstrators with a water cannon laced with purple dye, making them easy to identify and detain. (Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber)
/file/attachments/2997/26Falko1Braamfontein_448331.jpg)
/file/attachments/2997/elephanthouseinpiratesstyle_801962.jpg "An entire house in Mzimhlope in Orlando West, Soweto, was painted by local signwriters in the colours of the Orlando Pirates football team. Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber")
/file/attachments/2997/26Sowetocoolingtowers_706571.jpg "More than 100m tall, the Soweto cooling towers combine mural art with commercial brands. Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber")
/file/attachments/2997/26Mojanation2QueenElizabethBridge_970183.jpg "This metal art installation on Queen Elizabeth Bridge is a new piece by MojaNation led by creative director Farai Mafurirano. Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber")
/file/attachments/2997/26GigglingHyenabyMalikartsinBraamfontein_565499.jpg "This Giggling Hyena was created by Malik, known online as @malikarts. Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber")
/file/attachments/2997/26CharlieChaplininBraambyRiotGraffiti_108709.jpg "This delightful Charlie Chaplin mural in Braamfontein was created by local graffiti and street artist Riot Top Two, who blends pop culture iconography with urban grit. Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber")
/file/attachments/2997/26DBongzMaboneng2_655711.jpg "Ethiopian Woman of the Mursi Tribe, in Beacon Street in Maboneng, on the walls of Access City by Dbongz Mahlathi. Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber")
/file/attachments/2997/26DBongzMaboneng_442549.jpg "Dbongz Mahlathi's Crate-ivity project in Maboneng. Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber")
/file/attachments/2997/26braamfonteinmorning_251968.jpg "The Purple Shall Govern is a 10-storey public artwork in Juta Street in Braamfontein by US street artist Shepard Fairey. It commemorates an incident in Cape Town in 1989 when police sprayed anti-apartheid demonstrators with a water cannon laced with purple dye, making them easy to identify and detain. Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber")