The regenerated east of downtown Joburg, built on street art, galleries and food markets. Walk Fox Street's murals, browse Arts on Main, catch the Sunday Market on Main, and see the creative side of the city, ideally with a local.
Maboneng is the other side of Johannesburg, the one that looks forward rather than back. Its name means ‘place of light’ in Sotho, and it’s a regenerated stretch of the old industrial east of downtown, rebuilt around galleries, artist studios, street art and food. After the polished safety of Sandton and the weight of the history museums, it’s where you see what young Joburg is actually making.
The heart of it is Fox Street and Arts on Main. Murals cover whole building facades, galleries and studios fill the old warehouses, and cafés and rooftop bars line the strip. On Sundays, Market on Main brings food and design stalls into the Arts on Main complex from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, and the precinct is at its busiest and best. The regeneration has had its ups and downs over the years, but Maboneng has held on as the city’s creative anchor.
It also opens a door to the wider inner city, which most visitors skip. Newtown has Museum Africa and Mary Fitzgerald Square, Braamfontein has its bars, galleries and Saturday market, and the Ponte City tower stands over Hillbrow as a landmark of the old high-rise city. These are best seen by day and with a local guide, who makes them both safer and far more interesting. Come on a Sunday, keep your wits about you on the surrounding streets, and use Uber to arrive and leave.
Street art and markets in Maboneng, and the wider inner city around it. Liveliest on a Sunday.
Walk Fox Street for the murals that cover whole facades, then browse Arts on Main, the precinct's galleries and artist studios. On Sundays, Market on Main fills the same complex with food and design stalls from 10:00 to 15:00, and the rooftop bars catch the afternoon.
Beyond Maboneng, the inner city rewards a guided walk. Newtown has Museum Africa and Mary Fitzgerald Square, Braamfontein has bars, galleries and its own Saturday market, and the view from the Hillbrow side takes in the Ponte City tower. A local guide makes it both safer and clearer.
Market on Main runs Sundays from 10:00 to 15:00 and is when Maboneng is at its best, packed with food, design and music.
The murals are the draw, and they change. Walk the main strip slowly, camera ready, and duck into the galleries at Arts on Main.
A guided street-art and culture walk gets you the stories behind the murals and the regeneration, and the artists working now.
Newtown, Braamfontein and the CBD are worth seeing but ask for city-sense. Go with a guide who knows which blocks and when.
The rooftop bars are the easy way to end an afternoon, with long views over the downtown skyline as the light drops.
Maboneng is lively and walkable by day. Keep your phone out of sight on the surrounding streets, and use Uber to arrive and leave.
See the creative city with a local through our trusted partners, at the same price as booking direct.
A guided walk through Maboneng's murals, galleries and markets, with the social history behind the regeneration.
Book on GetYourGuide →A guided walk through the inner city, including access to the famous Ponte City tower.
See inner-city tours →The City Sightseeing red bus links the inner city with the rest of Johannesburg, an easy way to get around.
See bus tickets →Maboneng and Braamfontein for the creative districts, or Sandton and Rosebank for the safe northern base.
Find a stay →We may earn a commission when you book through our partner links — at no extra cost to you.
Maboneng is where young Johannesburg is heading. See the rest of what the city holds.
