
PANARAMA PLACE
Hillbrow is one of Johannesburg's most densely populated and contested neighbourhoods. Once reserved exclusively for white residents under apartheid, it became one of South Africa's first truly integrated urban communities as segregation laws were dismantled. Today, it remains a place defined by constant change, shaped by migration, resilience and the realities of life in the inner city.
The departure of many businesses and property owners during the political transition of the 1990s left behind neglected buildings, deteriorating infrastructure and widespread urban decline. While Hillbrow is often portrayed through narratives of crime and poverty, these representations tell only part of the story. For many residents, the neighbourhood continues to offer opportunity, affordability and the possibility of a better future.
Panarama Place takes its title from a residential building on Prospect Road whose misspelt sign captured my imagination. It became a fitting metaphor for a city viewed through multiple perspectives—fragmented, complex and constantly evolving.
Through this long-term body of work, I set out to document a layered portrait of inner-city Johannesburg, exploring the intersections of history, migration, architecture and everyday life. Rather than seeking definitive answers, these photographs invite a broader understanding of a place too often reduced to stereotype.
























