Join a Walking Tour to Explore and Celebrate Jozi’s Vibrant Neighbourhoods and Communities

Are you curious about Hillbrow but concerned about its reputation? Want to travel through Africa without setting foot in O.R. Tambo, or trace the hidden river running through Joburg? This year’s #JoziMyJoziWalks take you from iconic landmarks and historic neighbourhoods to natural landscapes and creative hubs. Led by local champions, these guided walks are a safe, engaging, and community-driven way to explore the city on foot.

Civil movement Jozi My Jozi, in collaboration with Johannesburg In Your Pocket and Gauteng Tourism Authority, is reviving the successful community neighbourhood project, Jozi Walks, as JoziMyJoziWalks, to coincide with World Tourism Day on 27 September.

Focusing on the inner-city and surrounding suburbs to celebrate Johannesburg’s neighbourhood stories, the fifteen curated and community-led walking tours take place across the weekend of 27 and 28 September 2025, in partnership with local community activists, influencers, tourism entrepreneurs, walking tour operators, and heritage specialists.

“JoziMyJoziWalks is a community-led walking festival, designed to showcase the city’s diverse neighbourhoods through immersive, story-rich walking routes led by local champions. This unique event celebrates local culture, heritage, art, and entrepreneurship, creating authentic experiences for both residents and visitors alike,” explains Dawn Robertson, Visitor and Creative Economy Catalyst for Jozi My Jozi.
“Walking tourism is one of the fastest-growing segments in the travel industry, offering sustainable, low-impact, and immersive experiences. They encourage exploration at a human scale and support local economies and small businesses directly, whilst aligning with global trends towards experiential and responsible tourism. We believe that real connections happen on foot, not in cars – and we know that Johannesburg’s best tour guides already live here.”

In light of this, ensuring that Joburg’s streets are safe and secure to encourage walking is a key focus area of Jozi My Jozi. “Working with many of our partners and corporates, we are installing solar lighting and CCTV cameras across the city, fixing pavements and employing more feet on the ground across the city’s walkable networks. The increased daily foot traffic across the Nelson Mandela Bridge, since we restored it to its iconic status, is a perfect example of this in action,” says Bea Swanepoel, CEO of Jozi My Jozi.

“From the more than 40 applications to host walks we received, we have commissioned 15 new and inspiring tours that we hope will become permanent fixtures on Jozi’s tourism map. While each one is distinctive in its offering, all the walks celebrate local art, heritage, food, and township creativity while also potentially opening up new permanent tourism routes across Johannesburg,” explains Robertson

The 2025 edition of JoziMyJoziWalks focuses on the following neighbourhoods: Alexandra, Braamfontein, Braamfontein Werf, Brixton, Fordsburg, the Joburg Inner City, Kwa Mai Mai Market and Jeppestown, Kensington, Lorentzville, Melville, and Soweto, with each route highlighting unique stories, public art, food, and hidden businesses.

Participant numbers are limited for each of the walks over the two days to ensure intimate, high-quality experiences, with the spin-off fostering community pride and economic upliftment by directly involving residents and entrepreneurs in the neighbourhoods. Each walk can be booked via Quicket and costs R67.50 per person (includes Quicket fee). Book your tickets now!

“What makes the 2025 edition of #JoziMyJoziWalks so special for the ‘tourists’ is that the Walk Champions all live in and know where to unearth the hidden gems within their neighbourhoods, ensuring that each curated route is deeply rooted in the local culture and history. The walks will also support local community-led tourism initiatives and help to create sustainable jobs while exploring the real Jozi that we all love. We know the experiences will stay with our visitors long after the walks are over because it is not just what they will see, but what they will deeply feel that leaves its mark,’ concludes Robertson.

The partners for #JoziMyJoziWalks 2025 are:

#Johannesburg2025 #JoziMyJoziWalks #joziwalks #neighbourhoodstories #WeThePeople #JoinTheMovement
Sign up here to join the #JoziMyJozi movement – be part of the solution.

CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za.

Author: Janet de Kretser from Jozi My Jozi on behalf of Jozi My Jozi.