"So Much Potential Bandla": Inside Ponte City Tower: Johannesburg's Vodacom Skyscraper Explored

• TikToker Tadeus Sambata filmed a tour inside Ponte City Tower, the iconic Vodacom-branded skyscraper looming over Hillbrow, Johannesburg
• The building is 80% occupied with nearly 2,000 residents, and trash once piled so high inside the hollow core that cleanup took three and a half years
• South Africans in the comments were stunned by the spacious apartments and sweeping views of Joburg from inside the tower

Ponte City Tower, the round Hillbrow skyscraper dressed in Vodacom branding, has long been one of Johannesburg's most talked-about buildings. TikToker Tadeus Sambata, known as @tadeusofficial, finally went inside to show his followers what millions of South Africans have wondered about for years.

The video took viewers through Hillbrow's streets before entering the building. Once inside, Sambata explored the elevator, hallways, an empty apartment unit, and the building's famous hollow core, the cylindrical open space that stretches the full height of the structure.

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Life Inside Ponte City Looks Like

The apartments, however, left Sambata visibly impressed. Standing in a unit with wide windows, he could see across the entire Johannesburg skyline and joked he was ready to relocate immediately.

The hollow core told a darker story. Ponte City has a well-documented history as a place where people came to end their lives, and rubbish, including reportedly human remains, was thrown into the shaft over many years. The trash inside once reached as high as the 14th floor. Cleaning it out was done by hand and took three and a half years to complete.

Sambata also shared that Drake filmed a music video inside the building, though he was not sure which one. He added that Vodacom pays R500,000 a month to keep its signage on the tower. Watch the full Ponte City tour here:

Mzansi reacts to Ponte City Tour

South Africans in the comments could not hide their surprise at what they saw inside:

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@JustTlotlo:

"That place has soooo much potential bandla, the views! 😭"

@nomvula_soni:

"Johannesburg has so much potential to get back to its days of glory."

@moshoanaduduzile:

"The kitchen is so big I'm jealous 😭"

@Andy🦋:

"The apartments are actually nice ❤️"

@VINEGAR🌎:

"I wrote an article about the Vodacom tower (Ponte) and I couldn't get inside because of how bad it used to smell like. But I see it has improved."

@Aus' Lerato ✨:

"My phobia wouldn't let me stay there."

@SAMUKELISIWE:

"OK it looks nice inside."

Other Briefly News stories about Johannesburg

• A TikTok video showed a R15 store within the Times Square International Mall in Johannesburg, where budget shoppers are flocking for bargains.
• Vannin Court, a hijacked building in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, where residents struggle to survive without basic utilities, proved the stark reality of life inside the decaying structure.
• Koby Kumi-Diaka’s experience at Sandton City Mall in Johannesburg left him impressed by its luxurious atmosphere and modern design.

Source: Briefly News