“It’s Turning Into a Rotten Mess”: Gent Shows the Sorry State of Joburg CBD Leaving SA Divided

• A content creator reposted a video of a man walking through Johannesburg's CBD, showing the state of the city
• The gentleman explored buildings in Hillbrow that were once thriving residential spaces but are now without power, water or any form of sanitation
• South Africans in the comments were divided, with some saying the CBD is not as dangerous as he showed

TikTok creator @jadecopeland1959 reposted a video on 4 January 2026 of a content creator walking through Johannesburg's CBD to show how far the city has fallen. Quoting Nelson Mandela, he entered one of the most talked-about urban areas armed with a camera and private security. The gentleman walked through Hillbrow and the broader CBD, showing what he found.

What did the gent find in Joburg's CBD?

The first stop was a hijacked building right in the heart of the city. He explained that building hijacking happens when people move in, take control and start collecting rent from residents. With this method, they bypass the actual landlord entirely. Once the original owner stops maintaining the property, the water and electricity get cut off. Residents are then left to fend for themselves, often lighting fires inside to cook, which eventually leads to the buildings catching on fire.

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The building he entered was dark, littered and in a deeply poor state. Despite this, people were still living there. He spoke to a man named Mike, who described himself as a former security guard who had stayed behind even after everyone else left, simply because he had nowhere else to go.

The second building he visited was abandoned. It had once been a well-maintained flat in a part of Johannesburg that was considered upmarket as recently as 20 to 30 years ago. The man he spoke to inside described life in Johannesburg as very tough, particularly as a foreigner, saying people and even police treated him differently when it came to doing business.

The gentleman also noted the sharp differences between the rough areas of the CBD and the very wealthy neighbourhoods just a short distance away.

Watch the TikTok video below:

SA saddened by the sorry state of Joburg

Mzansi shared their opinions about the state of Johannesburg on TikToker @jadecopeland1959's clip, sharing how they felt about the crime rates and hijacked buildings:

@Lerato Chaneez Molef disagreed:

"Joburg CBD is not the most dangerous place in the world 😩"

@sibusiso_13 warned:

"Bro, never use your phone like that in the CBD."

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@Miclival3 said:

"Wow, the government of South Africa has done such an amazing job maintaining the infrastructure of the country. Awesome!"

@imimim shared:

"Johannesburg CBD is safe. I go shopping with my daughter there regularly. People are friendly and helpful."

@Lashan Reddy added:

"I've always wanted to see the inside of these buildings, and I live in SA. Thank you for the content."

@Bonita Janse van Rensburg said:

"The police are even scared and not respected in many CBDs and rural parts of the country. You cannot rely on them for your safety."

@Deidré Willemse noted:

"The second building could actually be beautiful 👀"

More on crime and safety in South Africa

• Briefly News reported on a KwaZulu-Natal shootout where two notorious suspects were killed during a police operation in Inanda.
• A community in Mpumalanga helped police track down a man accused of raping and killing a young girl.
• Tiffany Meek appeared in court in connection with her son Jayden-Lee's death, and what her defence team said had people watching the case very closely.

Source: Briefly News