Brixton is a predominantly working class suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is the site of the landmark

Sentech Tower The Sentech Tower, previously named the Albert Hertzog Tower and commonly known as the Brixton Tower, is a concrete television tower in the Brixton suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, near the top of the Brixton Ridge. It is a well-known and ...

, and is near the suburbs of

Auckland Park Auckland Park is a suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a large ...

and Melville.

History

The suburb of Brixton was first surveyed in 1902 from a portion of the farm ''Braamfontein''. The suburb was named after the Brixton suburb in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

with many of the area's streets taking their names from districts in the British capital. The ridge on which the area was developed in the early 20th century offers a panoramic view of most surrounding areas of Johannesburg. Brixton consists of wide, neat streets containing some 980 houses, many of which are traditional semi-detached homes with low set walls.

Architecture

The suburb possesses several distinctive churches, with one having been built by

Sir Herbert Baker Sir Herbert Baker (9 June 1862 – 4 February 1946) was an English architect remembered as the dominant force in South African architecture for two decades, and a major designer of some of New Delhi's most notable government structures. He wa ...

and Frank Fleming. A few Brixton houses have been declared provincial heritage sites. The area also features one of the largest cemeteries in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...

. Laid out in 1912, Brixton Cemetery has a historic

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

crematorium which was organised by

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

shortly before his departure from South Africa in 1914. The commanding

overlooks the area. Built in 1962, the tower is used for broadcasting television and radio stations across the country. The tower once featured a restaurant at its top, but this was closed in 1982 due to political tensions.

Kingston Frost Park

The area is also home to the Kingston Frost Park. Originally called the Brixton Park when it was laid out in 1925, the park was renamed the Kingston Frost Park in 1939 in honor of the Johannesburg city councillor, AC Kingston Frost. Visitors to the park are greeted with a tall beacon commemorating those who died in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. In recent years, local residents have taken it upon themselves to actively maintain, clean, and finance the upkeep of the park, as part of an initiative led by local actress, cabaret artist, an
Zietsies guesthouse
owner
Elzabé Zietsman.

Gentrification

Due to the diversity of residents in terms of education, income and cultural heritage, the people of Brixton are establishing a proud tradition of community building and upliftment projects to unify and connect its inhabitants. The suburb is composed of artists, architects, students, celebrities and immigrants from across Africa with people of varying faiths and cultures living side by side. Initiatives such a
The Brixton Light Festival
a free open air market and performance space created by members of the community, as well as Shade Kids Saturday Art Classes, that provide creative outlets and often, meals for the children of Brixton, have done much to bolster the social cohesion of the district. Brixton draw-cards, such a
Breezeblock
a trendy cafe, restaurant and coffee shop that offers chic and affordable office space and Roving Bantu Kitchen & Treks, an afro soul eatery and live music venue, are found dispersed between the business and residences of Brixton. Brixton is home to th
South African National Youth Orchestra
headquarters, as well as the legendar
Hugenote Amateur Boxing Club
established by "Naas Botes in 1961 and has produced regional, provincial and national champions, as well as Springbok boxers." The image of the Brixton Central Business District is still perceived as negative, the area's disheveled High Street stores are in need of business investors and the parking remains scarce. However, with its close proximity to two prominent universities, population and low property and rental prices, investment in the area may prove to be profitable. Brixton has traditionally been a working class suburb, but has seen an influx of a few professionals in recent years. The area's low property prices and the ridge's panoramic views have attracted new residents to the area although there are many areas that are perceived as dilapidated and overcrowded. There is also a large, ever growing student population, which attend the nearby

University of the Witwatersrand The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (), is a multi-campus South African public research university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University or Wits ( or ). The university ...

and

University of Johannesburg The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is a public university located in Johannesburg, South Africa. The University of Johannesburg came into existence on 1 January 2005 as the result of a merger between the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU), the ...

. These students may prove to be a lucrative market that som
African finance consultants
suggest still remains untapped.

References

Brixton, the Caring Suburb The city's historyhttp://www.joburg.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=246:brixton-cemetery-hosts-citys-history&catid=38&Itemid=51 Johannesburg Region B