From Joburg is Finished to Watch This Space - The Jozi My Jozi Turnaround

Presented by Jozi my Jozi

Guest: Innocent Mabusela, Head of Stakeholder Relations and Communication at Jozi My Jozi

Host: Dan Claassen, Managing Director at Future Cities Africa

Episode Summary:

In this upbeat and inspiring episode, Innocent Mabusela explains how Jozi My Jozi (JMJ), launched in 2023, has become one of Africa's most talked-about citizen-led urban renewal movements, all without a big government budget.

Key highlights from the conversation:

JMJ is proudly apolitical and calls itself a "coalition of the doing". From day one it focused on rapid delivery to earn trust rather than just talking.
Shifting the narrative: Instead of arguing with the "Joburg is finished" story, JMJ invites skeptics into the inner city for walks and meetings. Campaigns like Babize Bonke ('call them all') spotlight eight diverse inner-city champions (restaurant owners, DJs, activists, creatives) and events like the Absa RUN YOUR CITY and Discovery Vitality runs bring thousands of suburban runners into the heart of town to see the changes with their own eyes

Quick, visible wins:
Friday clean-ups with the City, fixed paving at Constitution Hill, placemaking at Albertina Sisulu Road and Gillooly's Interchange, restored Nelson Mandela Bridge, and solar lights + CCTV in Hillbrow and Doornfontein, all coordinated in months rather than decades by a small, passionate team working through focused work streams (safety, environment, education, sport, culture, tourism, etc.).

Deeper-impact projects:
Field of Dreams, the first full-size football pitch (plus netball & basketball courts) in the inner city, built with Standard Bank and Maharishi Institute.
Point-in-Time Count of homeless people turned into Dignity Days (clothes, haircuts, Home Affairs ID registration on site).
Registering Early Childhood Development centres.

New frontiers: Freshly signed MOU with national Departments of Public Works & Justice to refurbish the Gauteng High Court precinct (better waiting areas, reliable water & electricity, dignified experience for court users). Co-hosting the BASA Creative Futures Summit to make 'invisible' inner-city creatives visible.

The replicable recipe: The single non-negotiable ingredient is putting the real needs and voices of residents at the centre of every project. Innocent stressed this is not a marketing or political campaign, it's long-term, people-first delivery

Closing call to action: Any city in South Africa or across the continent can copy the model, as long as the work is driven by genuine listening and measurable benefits for ordinary residents, not ego or short-term PR.

A feel-good, practical masterclass in how a small, determined group of citizens and partners is quietly proving that African cities can fix themselves from the inside out.