Product Description

The authors asked fellow journalists and writers - South Africans and foreigners who have lived in Johannesburg - to write about the city. Out of this emerged "From Jo'burg to Jozi", idiosyncratic reactions to Egoli, Jo'burg, Jozi, the City of Gold.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #915459 in Books
• Published on: 2002-12-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 258 pages

About the Author
Heidi Holland is a local author and journalist. Currently writing a book on crime in South Africa.

Adam Roberts is a British journalist in Johannesburg. Currently editing a sequel to Jo'burg to Jozi, about Soweto township. Soweto Inside Out (Penguin SA) will be published in June 2004. Co-edited with Joe Thloloe

Customer Reviews

A traveller's
'Johanesburg to Jozi' will be a timely revelation to anyone who stillshares the popular belief that South Africa's first city is no more thanan ultra-violent, crime-ridden urban sprawl divided by race and wealth. Inreality the city has much more to offer and I was relieved finally to seethat portrayed in print.
This collection of anecdotes and observations by contemporary journalistscaptures the Jo'burg scene familiar to those of us who have lived throughits transformation since aparthied. There is no attempt here to deny theacute crime or the social and communal divisions that aflict life in TheBig Yam. But these snapshots also capture something of the city'sextraordinary, unpredictable vitality, which the outside world rarelyhears of.
The 'eye-witness' account of a paranoid two-headed hound that survivesexclusively on curry still makes me laugh and though it may stretch yourcredulity (!) it also illustrates that in Jo'burg truth really often isstranger than fiction.
Living in Europe now I am frequently disappointed by just howmisunderstood my home city is, though not suprised given that all oneusually sees reported are its record murder, carjacking and rapestatistics. Anyone who wants to go beyond the scare stories, learn aboutthe other Jo'burg and be entertained won't be disappointed.

Almost does it...
A good and simple read that doesn't take much effort or thinking. It covers various aspects of Johannesburg as told be various people but in the end fails to bring across the real Jo'burg. The unforgettable stories as told by people who have grown up there and lived on its streets. There are many harsher, more real and often incredible realities, both good, bad and amazing, to Jo'burg which make it the city it is and this book misses that mark. If you're someone wanting to find out the true and often incredible nature of Jo'burg then this is the wrong book to read. In all, the word "Nice" will suffice in describing this book. Not gripping or any "WOW" factor but simply "Nice".