“No Way This Is Joburg CBD”: Clip of What Jozi Looks Like Now Leaves SA in Disbelief

• A young man showed clean, open streets in Johannesburg that had many South Africans questioning whether they were actually looking at Jozi
• The city has been undergoing an ongoing clean-up and enforcement drive that includes raids on illegal structures
• South Africans were divided, with some saying certain parts of Joburg have always looked like this

Neo, a Johannesburg resident, shared a video on 3 May 2026 that showed several different scenes from around Johannesburg. He showed clean pavements, open roads between buildings, no litter, no overcrowding, and people simply moving through the city going about their day.

For many, it barely looked like the Johannesburg they knew. The city has changed a lot recently, and the video showed that shift in a way that got people talking fast.

What has been happening in Jozi?

The Gauteng Provincial Government and the City of Johannesburg have been running a sustained inner-city revitalisation programme targeting the CBD and surrounding areas including Hillbrow.

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The programme, which launched formally in August 2024, focuses on by-law enforcement, cleaning up illegal dumping sites, repairing street infrastructure and reducing crime. The city's waste management service, Pikitup, the Johannesburg Metro Police Department and civil movement Jozi My Jozi have all been involved in regular clean-up operations.

Raids on non-compliant businesses and illegal traders have also been ongoing, with the city and private sector working together to maintain progress in high-priority areas. President Ramaphosa himself participated.

Some areas have always been clean

While the clip impressed many, some pointed out that what was shown in the video is Marshalltown, an area that has been one of the more well-maintained parts of the Johannesburg CBD.

Several people who work or have worked in the area said it has looked like that for years. The debate brought awareness to a point about something important about Johannesburg as a city. It has always had pockets of order alongside areas of real struggle.

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Watch the TikTok clip below:

SA debates the clean Jozi clip

People had a lot to say about what they saw on the TikTok page:

@celinefernandesmariano joked:

"What about Small Street? 🤣🤣🤣"

@buthelezi2015 questioned:

"Isn't that Cape Town???"

@billey570 confirmed:

"That's Marshalltown. It's been like that. I worked at the Department of Education on Hollard."

@relebogilechinenyeobiany asked:

"So how many stores in Joburg are now making money?"

@shaginc wrote:

"No way this is Joburg CBD."

@zizi_917 said:

"Honey, no, it's been clean all along."

@uzziboy_05 laughed:

"AI is getting out of hand 😂"

@johannesphalatse declared:

"I still stand by it. No city is as beautiful as Joburg."

More on the Jozi clean-up

• Briefly News recently reported on Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero showing Small Street after illegal structures were demolished.
• A City of Johannesburg operation at MTN Butchery in the CBD led to seven arrests after undocumented workers were found.
• Joburg residents took to the streets after the alleged beating death of a teenager as they demanded justice.

Source: Briefly News