Glimpses from the past year

We can all agree that Joburg experienced a turbulent, yet, amazing year – from the Spingboks’ recent Rugby World Cup celebrations in Braamfontein to Palesa Mokubung’s boundarybreaking and historic collaboration with global retail giant, H&M and Brenda Fassie’s iconic statue finding a new home at the public plaza outside the Market Theatre.

It is no secret that City Buzz is absolutely in love with Joburg and with all the chaos and controversies that tend to mar the city’s image it is important to look back at some of the beautiful moments we witnessed over the past year.

With all the fun activities, cool events and trailblazing individuals in the city, why wouldn’t we look back at the moments – big and small – that make residents of the City of Gold beam with hope as we usher in a new year and a new decade. Not only is our beautiful city locally loved, but, it is also internationally acclaimed. It is a melting pot of creativity and the arts, a business hub and positioned as the major economic and cultural hub in Africa.

Let’s look back at some of Joburg’s top five moments:

• Celebrating the life and times of legends We started the year on a sad note when the news of Oliver Mtukudzi’s passing sent shockwaves through the country. The Joburg Theatre hosted a memorial celebrating the music and life of the late Oliver Mtukudzi – what a way to remember a legend!

• Women make a mark with specially brewed beer SAB teamed up with five women who are about the craft of beer to create a special, limited edition, small-batch brew which celebrated women in brewing.

• A thriving art circuit Joburg’s inner-city has been going through an amazing structural, cultural and economic resurgence and this is evident in the number of people flocking to places like Maboneng, Newtown, and Braamfontein to catch a glimpse of some of the best theatrical productions. Itsoseng, eKasi Lam’ and Frontières are some of this year’s hottest productions.

• Joburg comes out in Afro-chic style for Lion King premiere After what seemed like ages, The Lion King finally hit the big screens following the official South African premiere. On 18 July, the young and old alike were treated to a special screening of the movie under the stars.

• A melodic re-introduction to historic landmarks officially opened in April, the Rand Steam Shopping Centre turned a historical landmark site into a shopper’s delight with structures in the centre declared heritage sites by the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation.

Check out some snap shot from the past year below: