Can Johannesburg reclaim 'hijacked' buildings?

10/11/2025 32 min
Can Johannesburg reclaim 'hijacked' buildings?

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Episode Synopsis

The South African city of Johannesburg has well over 100 abandoned and derelict buildings plagued by rubbish and open sewage and some have been taken over by criminal gangs. Many are also home to some of the city's most vulnerable residents. As Johannesburg gears up to host leaders from the world's major economies for the G20 summit, what is being done to address the issue of 'hijacked' buildings? BBC Africa Eye has been there to investigate, and we hear more from their reporter.

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Presenter: Audrey Brown
Producers: Todah Opeyemi in Lagos. Mark Wilberforce, Sunita Nahar, and Alfonso Daniels in London
Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne
Technical Producer: Jack Graysmark
Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi