"Used to Be Nice": Footage of Hillbrow Housing Crisis Leaves SA Disturbed by Living Conditions

• A viral Instagram video filmed inside Hillbrow exposed the desperate living conditions residents face in one of Johannesburg's most notorious neighbourhoods
• Footage showed crumbling buildings where landlords rent out door spaces and living rooms as sleeping areas, with rent reaching R2,900 against an average wage of R4,000
• South Africans were shaken by the clip, with many recalling how Hillbrow was once one of the trendiest suburbs in the country

A video filmed inside Hillbrow, Johannesburg, is making the rounds on Instagram. It has left South Africans deeply unsettled after exposing the extreme housing conditions that residents in one of the city's most densely populated neighbourhoods are living in.

The footage, shared on 29 August 2026, was recorded by CalebandLu, who are touring the area with a local guide. The clip quickly gained attention for the raw portrait it painted of life inside Hillbrow's aging high-rises.

Rent prices that leave little room to live

Read also

"We are built differently": Global media react to Airlink's flyover CPT stadium, SA responds

The video showed the exterior of tall brick buildings with shattered glass running several storeys high. Inside, the picture was just as stark. According to information shared by a local guide in the clip, the average rent for a room in the area sits at around R2,900 per month. That figure becomes even more troubling when set against the average monthly wage of roughly R4,000 that many South Africans earn.

With so little space available, some landlords have turned living rooms into rentable sleeping areas at R1,300 a month. Others go even further, charging tenants for what is described as a "door space", the narrow corridor just inside the entrance of a flat. These tiny strips of space are let out to people with nowhere else to turn.

What Hillbrow once was

The video struck a particular chord with South Africans old enough to remember Hillbrow in its prime. Commenters recalled a suburb that was once alive with coffee shops, restaurants and vibrant street culture, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s.

View the Instagram video below:

South Africans responded with a mix of sadness, nostalgia, and frustration on the page:

@barth.sharon wrote:

"... Hillbrow, back in the day, was such a trendy suburb with coffee shops. This is what the ANC allowed."

@pgeary6001 said:

Read also

Glenn Close’s sunset ‘goodbye’ video leaves fans deeply concerned

"I've been to Hillbrow several times and have a friend who used to live and work there before 1994."

@evivarnavides shared:

"Hopefully the mayor will change, and some improvements can be made to the area. My older brothers told me stories of how good Hillbrow used to be in the early 80's."

@drinksmithbar commented:

"Hillbrow in the 80's was fantastic."

@brunamedixx added:

"To think this was THE place to live in the 70 and 80's."

the_ezrah said:

"Hillbrow used to be such a nice place before 95'"

More Briefly News stories on Hillbrow

• A suspected fake municipal officer was arrested in Hillbrow after allegedly posing as an official and extorting money from residents.
• A tour of a reportedly dangerous Hillbrow building gave viewers a glimpse inside the troubled Johannesburg property and its living conditions.
• A fascinating tour explored the inside of Ponte City Tower in Johannesburg, showcasing the iconic skyscraper’s history and transformation.

Source: Briefly News