A week in Johannesburg? You’ll need to pace yourself.

Posted on 26 August 202626 August 2026

If you think you know what’s happening in Joburg, think again.

Every week seems to bring another exhibition, concert, performance, market, talk or unexpected reason to cross town. The tricky bit isn’t finding something to do – it’s deciding what to leave out. And I had this problem last week.

“To begin at the beginning … it is spring” Dylan Thomas Under Milkwood at Die Pienk Kerk

On Sunday, the descriptively named Die Pienk Kerk (no longer a Kerk but a quirky restaurant, gallery and events space in Melville), held a reading of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milkwood. A special event where we met new interesting people, had a delicious meal and then were treated to a reading of that marvelous text read by a range of famous South African actors and presenters. Die Pienk Kerk often hold events like this, so keep checking to see what is coming up.

Dylan Thomas’ text was read by Kim Cloete, Murray Todd, Ruda Landman, Andre Odendaal, Fiona Ramsay and Tobie Cronje. This illustrious group of narrators lived up to their reputation.

Seated at our table at Die Pienk Kerk was a delightful couple who happen also to be lovers of all things Jozi … well… the arts and culture happenings that is, not the potholes and unlit streets. When I opened Ferial Hafajee’s amazing weekly newsletter of 20th August in the Daily Maverick, who should I see in a photograph with Bridgit Van Oerle, but our new friends from Die Pienk Kerk. Bridget is another Jozi maven who writes the Maria Mcloy Gig Guide for *Daily Maverick*. The annotation of this photo reads: “*Here’s Bridget with Daily Maverick readers Barbara and Andrew who follow the guide and use it to plan their weekends. We love it*.”

Sarajevo Sandton Theatre on the Square

Actually, Under Milkwood was not quite the beginning. The afternoon before I saw Sarajevo at Sandton Theatre on the Square. It was totally sold out and understandably so. In discussion with friends afterwards, they said they did not want to see it as they want to be entertained and uplifted by theatre, not to witness trauma. I have a different view. If a play hits me in the gut with a visceral force, if I leave at the end transformed in some way, if the message lingers with me long afterwards, and if my breath is taken away by the skill of the actors and the power of the production, it has hit its mark .. it is great art. And I want to be challenged by great art. Sarajevo is by its very content harrowing. The telling and characters focus on the way in which war dehumanizes, polarizes, rips friendships asunder. The play speaks of the hold of “home”; raises the ethics of war photography; and most poignantly, holds up hope in a time of devastation. Written by Aimée Mica Komorowsky who, in a tour de force, is also one of the 4 actors. This play HAS to return to Jozi and when it does, please do NOT miss it. Daphne (a national treasure) of Theatre on the Square brings extraordinary productions to Jozi so keep a look out.

Tour with Seth Mazibuko

Tuesday saw me joining a particularly special tour. Guests staying at Liz at Lancaster had asked if I could arrange a tour to Soweto and to Constitutional Hill, a tour which would focus on conflict resolution and reconciliation. I had the privilege of meeting Seth Mazibuko earlier in the year, so I pulled off a miracle for my guests. As one of the main student leaders in the ’76 uprising, Seth agreed to take our guests on a tour around significant Orlando West sites, including showing them exactly where he had been on that significant day in 1976 when the police opened fire at the site now known as Confrontation Corner.

Seth Mazibuko at the Hector Pieterson Musuem. Showing his group of guests from Liz at Lancaster two photographs, he explains who they are: Hastings Ndlovu who was the first student who died in the uprising, and Mbuyisa Makhubu who was the student carrying Hector Pieterson, captured in the famous photograph by Sam Nzima. Part of this photograph is seen in the back right of this image. Seth turned 16 on the 15th June 1976 and was one of the most significant leaders of the ’76 uprising.

Contra 2026 Upcoming 29th and 30th August

I peeled off early from Seth’s tour early so I could make the press event in advance of Contra’s art weekend on 29^th and 30^th August. Billed as: “More than 170 artists, 16 creative spaces. Two very different days. One city to explore.” See Contra for the full programme.

In keeping with their tagline “Contra is about moving”, after a talkabout at Candice Berman Fine Art gallery 223 Jan Smuts Ave – Mandy Johnston’s exhibition and a group exhibition by women artists – we moved on to Victoria Yards. In the warm spring sunshine, we sipped complimentary gin cocktails at Primal Distillery in advance of the announcement of the winners of the label designs for their new gins. Business and artists working together. Our final destination was a visit to Usha Seejarim’s studio on Ophirton. Usha’s work deals with women and the home, using found objects from the domestic environment – like clothes pegs, drying cloths and the bases of irons.

Experiencing an artist’s workspace is fascinating and the drawing of the nude woman with washtub caught my eye.

And then I saw this wonderful wire translation of the drawing.

Over the weekend a complimentary shuttle will loop continuously between venues every 20 minutes through the day.

If it’s Thursday it must be the Symphony Concert

The second concert of the Early Spring season at the Linder Auditorium featured Mayer’s Faust Overture; Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 26 in g minor and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7, Op. 70 in d minor. And WHAT a tour de force Lidia Baich was, earning long standing ovations.

The 3rd concert (27th August) looks incredibly exciting: Rossini’s sparkling Barber of Seville Overture is followed by what will surely prove to be a show of startling bravura pianism as the piano duo, Xin Wang and Florian Koltun, perform Mozart’s famous double-piano concerto, written to perform with his sister Nannerl. What a highlight. The evening culminates Mozart’s Symphony No. 39,

The last concert of the early Spring season is on 3rd September and includes Rachmaninoff’s Symphony in d minor, “Youth Symphony”;
Walton’s Concerto for Viola; and Franck’s Symphony in d minor conducted by Daniel Boico with the soloist Gareth Lubbe on the viola.

There might still be single seats available or cancellations. But check their website for the upcoming summer season.

Saturday Make-and-Create Workshop at Wits Art Museum

WAM runs amazing making workshops to coincide with exhibitions at the Wits Art Museum or at the Jack Ginsberg Centre for Book Arts (2nd floor of WAM). What We Do Not See is a photographic exhibition celebrating the work of David Goldblatt which runs at WAM until 25th October. In addition to Goldblatt, the exhibition brings together a group of nine mainly Johannesburg- based photographers: Gulshan Khan, Jabulani Dhlamini, Jo Ractliffe, Jodi Bieber, Lindokuhle Sobekwa, Madoda Mkhobeni, Mark Lewis, Sabelo Mlangeni, and Tshepiso Mazibuko.

True confessional here. Sadly, I did not make this workshop as I had a long-standing midday arrangement. Had I been free this would have been a firm fixture in my diary. These workshops are always wonderful – both in terms of activities, as well as the range of new and interesting people who participate. Jozi’s capacity for generosity, humour and connecting is always part of these kinds of events. It is worth getting on to their mailing list.

Make and create Workshop at WAM. After a walkabout of the exhibition with WAM docent Elona and WAM Education Curator Bougaard, participants created their own artwork inspired by the photographs on display. Image courtesy: Wits Art Museum

Sunday- the end of the week

And to end off a fabulous week of Jozi’s varied and superb eclectic offerings, what better than a Scullery Quintet concert at Glenshiel. Keep a lookout for future concerts and make sure not to miss them. I’ve posted before about this amazingly talented classic string quartet: Waldo Luc Alexander and Hana Yim-Wahl on violins; Tiisetso Mashishi on viola; Viwe Mkizwana on double bass; with Peter Auret on percussion. On Sunday they jazzed up classics by Beethoven, Dvorák, Tchaikovsky, and Brahms as well as performing their own arrangements of jazz pieces by Afrika Mkhize, Pat Metheny and Kenny Garrett. Such a treat!

This event has been and gone but keep a look out for future performances

So that was the week that was. Look out for repeats of these events and for Contra on 29th and 30th August and the 3rd and 4th early spring symphony concerts (27th August and 3rd September).