“It Had So Much Potential”: South Africans Stunned as Man Shows Ponte Tower’s Current State

• Kieran Brown, a travel content creator, travelled to Ponte Towers in Johannesburg to show the building's current state
• The man shared what the building used to be like during the apartheid era and what it turned into during the early 2000s
• The online crowd gathered in the comment section, sharing their memories of the record-breaking structure

An international travel content creator, Kieran Brown, visited the infamous Ponte Tower in Johannesburg, the tallest residential building on the continent of Africa. What was initially a symbol of luxury dramatically fell into decay and crime, surprising many people on the internet.

On 8 December, 2025, Kieran entered the cylindrical, 54-story skyscraper's grounds, standing at the very bottom amidst the rubble. He told his online followers that during the 90s and early 2000s, it was notorious for criminal activity and became home to various gangs.

The young man also noted that the inside of the building used to be filled with rubbish, as residents often discarded trash from their windows.

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Ponte Tower sparks global conversation

The viral video prompted thousands of social media users from across the globe to gather in the comment section, including South Africans who expressed their thoughts about the iconic building.

@deonengelbrecht0 had many questions they wanted answered:

"Who owns it? Why do they not fix it up and create a decent living space? Why is the government not stepping in?"

@mech_anika shared with people on the internet:

"My mom stayed in Ponte Tower in the 80s, and she said it was beautiful and amazing. It's a pity that it's become this terrible. It had so much potential."

@spiderincider stated to the public:

"I’m pretty sure you’re standing on a portal to hell right there. I would probably have an agoraphobic freak out."

@sukie.kuhn laughed and added in the comment section:

"Yeah, as a South African, it fascinates me how I have to learn the history of my own country from foreign content creators."

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@manifestingabundance111 wrote under the post:

"Why does this feel like one of those nightmares where you're running around and can never figure out how to get out?"

A saddened @stellierich told the online community:

"Slowly, we are losing everything that made our country special. I wonder what the Carlton building looks like. We used to ride the lift up and down. We can't even show our children all that."

Watch the TikTok video posted on Kieran's account below:

3 Other stories about Johannesburg apartments

• In another article, Briefly News reported that South Africans shared their opinions about an apartment listing that was at an unbelievable price. Online users cracked up about what people had to pull out of their pockets.
• A Johannesburg real estate agent showed a completely pink apartment, where every room was painted in the vibrant shade. Local social media users joked about the two-bedroom penthouse's bizarre design.
• Another real estate agent showed a three-bedroom Roodepoort home available for purchase at R470 000 to divided internet users. While some people loved the space, others felt the price didn't match the home's interior they had seen on their screens.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News