Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
(Ethereal music plays)
It's an iconic building
and it has quite a reputation,
almost a story of it's own
that has a place in the psychology
of Greater Johannesburg,
everybody knows about it.
And it used to have a reputation
as a very dodgy place associated
with crime, drugs...stories of suicides
in that centre and now it's revitalising
it's changing. I think the perception
is still there, but it's
really the sort of icon of decay.
We came here, like 90 somethin, 92.
We stayed here until...
we started staying here
in Hillbrow then we came here
then we stayed here,
now it's like five years here.
We are like seven
and I am the oldest
I am the oldest brother.
I am staying with my Mother,
Stepfather and the other kids.
There are families, there are students
and people who work, probably
if you're working and you want to stay
in a certain place a little bit cool.
Ponte is a place where
there is no noise.
People who live there
they are civilised
and all that kind of stuff.
It's good at the same time it's scary,
but I'm used to it,
I'm not scared,
but it's good here.
See this is the interesting thing
with Ponte is it really was the
the icon of decadence.
It was these flats
that you're seeing now
used to be three story flats
with a Jacuzzi on the top floor.
Like, the premier location
in the city, if you're staying here
you're making a hell of a lot of cash.
And very quickly at the turn of
democracy or probably a little bit
before that it became
a hovel, you know there were
three stories of trash in that core.
Property values just plummeted.
(Eerie, unsettling music plays)
Safety huh? Can talk about safety.
It's not that safe.
Talk about the windows.
I think it was February
like a small kid, seven year old
they were like chatting, standing there
But then like the child was
like standing at the window like this.
They were like chatting and
the window just went off.
And the child went out.
Just like that.
(Sombre piano plays)
From something that was really
an icon of wealth, exuberance
became an icon of
disgust associated with crime
All of the bad things
that came with democracy.
There was a sort of general exodus
from Jo'Berg,
the city centre and the
surrounding areas here, Hillbrow, Berea.
This was also quite trendy
larny residential area.
Very quickly white guys left,
black guys moved in,
that was just a rampant,
rapid change.
A lot of people here,
but then I think 51-52.
So many few people here.
People are few here like.
And the designs of the rooms,
they are very classy.
There were investors that came
just prior to the financial crisis
in 2007 put in a lot of money
and at that point they have
evicted everybody from the building
to redo it, but those guys left
with the financial crisis,
So then probably
a two year limbo here I'd imagine
and then eventually the managers,
the owners Kempston came
and they had a look at this building,
which I think they hadn't really
bothered with, I mean they're a big company
and this was just part of their
balance sheet.
A negligible asset, but they came
decided to actually put
some care into the building,
Take care of it. Manage it properly.
Now it's getting attractive.
Everybody wants to come and stay here.
As you can see downstairs here
there are some renovations going on,
some shops. There is gonna be
some shops, Laundry over there.
You know what I'm saying man.
It's a cool place.
It's getting nicer everyday there's no bad things.
It's getting nice, so interesting.
Mixed black and white,
but then population is black.
Only a few guys are white.
I have seen maybe six and
they live up on the last floor 52.
Cause I mean
we are getting a fantastic deal.
I mean I dunno,
What sort of rates of inflation
they're going to put on these,
the rentals here.
But speaking to the guys
you don't get the impression
that they are trying to get
everybody out and turn it
into an upper-class place.
They just want it to be
a decent building.
And I think for the most part the
guys that are staying here
the guys who like it will be able
to stay here for a while.
The security here it was,
It was probably borne out of necessity
to clean this place up
but it's remains very stringent
almost like a boarding house rules.
So, you know you bring somebody
around in the evening you've got to pay.
It's hard to get guests in.
From that side of things
you feel that
it's detracts from like the
homely sense of it.
You know the longer you stay here
the better and better relationships
you develop with the security.
You know obviously because it has
this reputation
the more conventionally mind setted
people take a lot of convincing that
they think it's a ridiculous idea
to move here.
And often I mean at times
it's impossible to break that thinking
but generally when people come round
and have a look they get jealous.
It's a very beautiful place.
So quiet here, it's out of Hillbrow
Hillbrow now is
population you see that's the problem.
But here is quiet.
If this landlord who I'm staying with
is not going to increase the rent
then I'm going to stay here for a long time
but if he keeps on increasing rent
I'm going to move out.
I can't see myself moving.
I mean where do you go after this?
(Soft piano music plays)
Subtitles by Adam Loretz www.abjectproductions.co.uk