Newtown's SciBono Centre provides both fun and education to thousands of learners each year
Cosmopolitan, multi-cultural, energetic, powerful and artistic — these are just some of the words used to describe the bustling hub of Newtown Cultural Precinct in Johannesburg. Newtown is where people from different cultures come together to explore new ideas, enjoy international cuisine and experience something different.
“The City of Johannesburg, Blue IQ and the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency all worked together to help transform the area,” says Ramoreboli. “Newtown is an area with an interesting history – once called Brickfields thanks to the clay deposits, it was home to the bubonic plague, burned down in 1904, was hastily rebuilt, saw the first forced removals of the apartheid government and was then lost to urban decay. Now, however, the efforts of the CoJ and investors, with the help of the Urban Development Zone (UDZ) tax incentive, [mean] the area is economically and commercially a success.”
Some of the more noteworthy places to visit in Newtown include Mary Fitzgerald Square, where public performances and gatherings are well lit by a display designed by famous designer Patrick Rimoux. Even Nelson Mandela once spoke at the square. Visitors can enjoy spectacular fireworks displays on Diwali, gasp at dancing dragons on the streets during Chinese New Year and dance the day away as Gay Pride takes its march across Nelson Mandela Bridge. Joburg Carnival, Joburg Arts Alive, SA Fashion Week and the Dance Umbrella are some of South Africa’s biggest events, and they are all hosted on the streets of Newtown.
The Joy of Jazz festival ran for nine years with artists from countries like Japan, Norway, Africa and, of course, South Africa. The event has now moved, but for many years it brought tourists and locals to the humming streets of Newtown for an unforgettable experience. This, along with other noteworthy events, really underscores how dramatic the transformation to the area has been.
Within Newtown are a number of famous landmarks, which make a visit essential. Museum Africa and the Market Theatre are there for the cultural and historically minded, while SciBono will amaze the young and the SAB World of Beer will cater to the over-18s.
Newtown has so much to offer the tourist and the visitor that it continues to grow in both popularity and accessibility; business is seeing remarkable growth as well. For instance, the enormous Newtown Junction shopping centre has just opened its doors. The City of Johannesburg is planning to attract more investment on both sides of Nelson Mandela Bridge, the M1 highway, Carr Street and Smit Street to create a link between the East Campus of Wits University and Newtown. The area will include nearly 6 000 housing units, significant square meterage for offices and plenty of retail, commercial and industrial space.
The City’s and the inner city stakeholders’ goal is to create a mixed-use culture-orientated node that encourages student flow and consumer feet alongside sustainable business growth. Newtown is currently a cultural district, but the City believes that it has the potential to better align with academic activities due to its proximity to Wits University, and it is taking all the necessary steps to make this happen.