The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) is back again with the annual JoziWalks initiative. JDA encourages those who are passionate about the City of Joburg and want to learn more about it, to safely join fellow residents on the streets of Jozi for a walk around the block.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and in its efforts to keep residents safe, JDA has capped the number of attendees per walk. A maximum of 20 participants will be allowed to attend each walk and all walkers must wear a mask to participate.

This year, the walks will take place from 10 October to 1 November 2020 and tickets are available for free on Quicket. In previous years there has been a high demand for the tickets and 2020 is no different. In only a few days that the tickets went live, four of the eight walks have been sold out.

JoziWalks is a series of JDA sponsored walking tours that aim to get City of Joburg residents to explore the city on foot, connect with their neighbours and encourage people to reflect on what makes neighbourhoods work. Due to the pandemic, some walks will be virtual – a win for those who would like to know more about some parts of Johannesburg, in the comfort of their own home. “Walking creates opportunities for new interaction. It is a shared experience and that is something that happens when new people are exploring the city together,” said Douglas Cohen, Executive Manager for Strategy and Planning at JDA.

The walks were launched in 2017 and over 1 200 people have participated in these free community-led walks, unearthing fantastic stories about this dynamic city. The walks have proven to be a success over the years and what makes this year’s walks even more brilliant is that the organisers have listened to the public regarding inclusiveness.

Tickets are available for free on Quicket (click here to book)

This year’s hosts are: 

Hiking Soweto – Bootcampers via Soweto in Soweto

• Saturday, 10 October 2020, 06:30 Sunday, 11 October 2020, 06:30
• Bootcampers via Soweto have a passion for both fitness and living a healthy lifestyle. The walk will be a fun and insightful experience of Soweto through wellness activities. 

Jozi Walks Orange Farm - Art Studios @5018 in Orange Farm

• Sunday, 25 October 2020, 10:00  
• Host Nkosana Ngobese, describes Orange Farm as a tremendous township and he will tell untold stories about the diverse and beautiful township. 

Cava iJozi – Cava iJozi in Newtown 

• Saturday, 10 October 2020, 11:00 
• The tour is called Cava iJozi tours which is township slang for 'Know your City' or 'Know Johannesburg' and the host Lungi Mlotshwa says, “The tour is more than a CBD tour”. 

Skate Joburg – City Skate Tours in Marshalltown

• Saturday, 10 October 2020, 11:00 
• Saturday, 10 October 2020, 14:00
• Skaters consider the area between City Hall and the Johannesburg City Library as the “traditional home of skateboarding”. Walkers will be given a lesson and shown how to skate before this walk takes place. 

Exploring the Johannesburg Pan African Fashion District - Fashion District Institute in Johannesburg Inner City

• Saturday, 17 October 2020, 10:30
• This walk will be taking place in Johannesburg’s fashion kapitol. Walkers will get to experience and learn about the rich history of the fashion industry in Johannesburg, dating back to the 1900s. 

Alexandra Township Arts & Heritage Experience - Maboneng Township Arts Experience in Alexandra

• Saturday, 31 October 2020, 12:00 (This is a virtual tour)
• This walk will be virtual and will give people an epic 360 view of the Alexandra township through the official Heritage Route brought to you by The Maboneng Township Arts Experience. This is a special and unique way to see Alexandra Township within an artistic, political and local cultural context.

Walkism – The Trinity Session in Orange Grove 

• Saturday, 17 October 2020, 10:00 
• The public will explore parts of Orange Grove and Norwood. This will be an interactive walk that focuses on intangible experiences, experimentation, and group participation. It will be led by a group of local artists and storytellers.

Makers Valley Tour - 94 Colours in Troyeville 

• Saturday, 10 October 2020, 10:00 
• Makers Valley is a place that is inspirational with different inclusive change making models used to uplift this area. The Valley is made up of a variety of social and creative enterprises, and artists. The aim is to shine a light on not only the artists but showcase the range of different initiatives in the valley.