Egoli, iGoli, Josi, Joburg - Africa's Eldorado and the future of
South African cities. If we don't make it here, we ain't gonna make it anywhere!
The gold reefs below have long been emptied, leaving a swathe of unusable land to the south of the city covered with our 'mountains' - the minedumps. And 'coincidentally' becoming a barrier between the (previously) white Metropole and Soweto.
But everything gets recycled in Joburg. The minedumps are being filtered to extract gold left behind by inefficient processes. Buildings and people come and go. But mostly they come, from everywhere in Africa and elsewhere, looking for Eldorado.
Joburg thrives on challenge - if you want a comfort zone go to Cape Town. If you want to believe in something big, come to iGoli - the great, big, messy engine room of sub-saharan Africa. It's the focal point of dreams, harsh African realities, political astuteness, and the kind of personal striving that makes New York look cushy. Just ask Nelson Mandela.