De-gentrification in Johannesburg’s inner city? The case of the Maboneng Precinct

Abstract

There have been a number of debates since the early 1990s about the death or demise of gentrification. Some have even argued that the actual threat is not gentrification but de-gentrification, which refers to the reversal of the process of gentrification. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the global recession that followed, some media outlets declared that de-gentrification was taking place in cities like London and New York. In South Africa, these processes have also brought about new patterns of urban change. This paper explores whether the phenomenon of de-gentrification is emerging in the inner city of Johannesburg, through a case study of the Maboneng Precinct. Once known for crime-and-grime, this former industrial area was recognised as one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world with its trendy boutiques, coffee shops and art galleries. However, after a brief period of gentrification, there has recently been a shift in the character of the neighbourhood with some fearing the precinct’s demise. However, some residents view the recent changes in a more positive light and instead perceive it as a new “incarnation” of the neighbourhood. Therefore, could de-gentrification be just what the doctor ordered as Marcuse put it? Could Maboneng emerge as a more inclusive space reflecting the needs and aspirations of working-class inner-city residents too?