Hotel Hillbrow

Notorious for its filthy streets, overpopulation, unemployment, poverty and criminal activity; Hillbrow is one of Johannesburg’s oldest suburbs, dating back to 1895. During the early apartheid years, it was characterised by single storey houses. As the area evolved and developers started building upwards, it began to attract hip young white singles from various European ethnicities. It was considered a politically progressive and cosmopolitan suburb with high-rise buildings and a vibrant nightlife. During the 1970’s, it was the heart of disco life in South Africa. Towards the end of Apartheid, the infrastructure could not support the sudden growth in population. The white middle-class residents fled north, to the quieter, safer and wealthier suburbs; making space for black migrants from local townships and neighbouring countries. From being one of the safest suburbs in the country, it became the most feared as corrupt policing, and illegal activity became the norm in Hillbrow; with the many establishments, especially in the entertainment industry perpetuating this activity, behind closed doors. The one thing that has remained constant, from apartheid until now, is the vibrant nightlife, although nowadays it caters to a very different clientele; mainly its residents and the few daring outsiders that visit for a thrill. Hotel Hillbrow is about the bars, the clubs, the hotels of the current day Hillbrow nightlife and my interactions with the people who work and frequent them. Through conversations and experiences, I explore themes of access, white privilege, sex, love and companionship, god and illegal activity, free choice and cultural pressures, the desire for acknowledgement, hope, and the will to succeed. This series is a rare account of the inside of these spaces as photographers are generally forbidden.