Why Cape Town beats Johannesburg
The tale of two cities is a story about modern South Africa
A drive through Johannesburg, South Africa’s biggest city, can feel dystopian. For-sale signs line suburban lawns; empty offices advertise vacancies; sewage gurgles over uncollected rubbish. Lights are often out at junctions. Potholes circled in paint are labelled ANC, a dig at the African National Congress, the ruling party that many residents blame for the city’s plight.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “The tarnished city of gold”
From the July 15th 2023 edition
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