Ponte City

Beneath layers of bright branding, the cylindrical tower in Hillbrow informally known as the “Vodacom tower” has become an emblem of Johannesburg’s complex urban history. Once envisioned as a modern high‑rise, it degraded into a derelict symbol of neglect, squatting, and folklore. Among the stories it now carries: that of bodies found in the building’s infamous central shaft during cleanup efforts.

Constructed as Ponte City, a 54‑story apartment complex billed as a symbol of modernity, the tower spiraled into decline over decades. By the 1990s it was overrun by gangs; trash, mattresses, and debris filled its central open core to a height of several stories. “There were some dead bodies here, illegal firearms, drugs. The smell, I’m sure it was just horrible, just really like, hell on earth.” Delight Sithole, a local guide, said in an interview with the BBC.