Johannesburg lights up the inner city for a safer, brighter festive Season

Mapaballo Borotho

Johannesburg has launched new festive streetlights and Christmas displays to improve safety and revive the inner city.
The refurbished lights, restored using existing stock, illuminate key areas including Maboneng, Gandhi Square, and major inner-city streets.
Mayor Dada Morero urged residents to help keep the city clean as part of efforts to restore Johannesburg’s vibrancy and reclaim the City of Gold.

The City of Johannesburg has officially launched its inner-city streetlights and Christmas light displays ahead of the festive season.

This initiative has been described as a significant milestone in efforts to enhance safety, visibility, and vibrancy during the holidays.

“This year’s installation brings newly illuminated festive displays that brighten the Inner City skyline and signal the start of a more joyful and welcoming holiday period. The event began with a guided tour through illuminated routes, including Maboneng, Gandhi Square, and the stretches along Rissik, Smith, Eloff, Wolmarans, Harrison, Plein, King George, and De Villiers Streets,” said City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena.

Mangena added that the Christmas lights were refurbished using existing stock from previous years, cleaned and repaired to reduce costs, with most of the work completed by internal City Power teams.

Joburg Mayor Dada Morero emphasised that the initiative forms part of the city’s broader efforts to reclaim and revitalise the inner city.

He assured residents that council leadership is committed to restoring Johannesburg to its former glory—the City of Gold.

Morero also urged residents to play their part by avoiding littering and illegal dumping to ensure the inner city remains clean.

“Help us keep the City of Johannesburg clean. We will win the battle and take the city back if we can stop littering. My colleagues and I are on the right path toward recovering and reclaiming the City of Johannesburg. We want to ensure safety so that people can walk without fear. We are bringing back Jozi Maboneng,” he said.