South Africa – Visitor’s Guide To Johannesburg – Folding Map

Publisher: Map Studio Productions & City Guide System Ltd
Price: £75 including postage in the UK
Publication Date: 1963
Edition: Not stated
Map Size: 74.8cm x 55.8cm
Binding: Original folding wrappers
Condition: Very good plus

Condition:

Produced for City Guide System Ltd. Date: 1963. Folding map. Size: 74.8cm x 55.8cm when opened. Folds to 10cm x 18.8cm. Has a couple of short, closed tears to the margins. Map is vibrant, bright and clean and in very good plus condition with original fold-lines. Scarce.

Johannesburg In The 1960s: A Brief Overview

The 1960s were a defining decade for Johannesburg, shaped by the intensification of apartheid, rapid urban and industrial expansion, and profound political repression. The city emerged as both a symbol of South Africa’s economic power and a focal point of racial segregation, political turmoil, and cultural change.

Political and Legal Context

Apartheid at Full Strength

The 1960s marked one of the most repressive phases of apartheid. Johannesburg, the country’s commercial epicentre, was profoundly affected by laws enforcing racial separation and restricting the movement, residence, and employment of Black South Africans.

Key legislative and political forces included:

• The Group Areas Act, which drove large-scale forced removals.
• The Pass Laws, restricting mobility and requiring Black residents to carry identification documents.
• The Suppression of Communism Act and subsequent security legislation, used broadly to silence political dissent.

Sharpeville and Its Aftermath

Although the massacre occurred in nearby Vereeniging in 1960, it had immense repercussions for Johannesburg:

• Mass arrests followed.
• The African National Congress (ANC) and Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) were banned.
• Political activism was driven underground, with Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) initiating sabotage campaigns.

The 1960s became a decade of state control, censorship, and political trials, none more famous than the Rivonia Trial (1963–64), which resulted in Nelson Mandela and other leaders receiving life sentences.

Urban Development and the Built Environment

A Growing Modern City

Johannesburg in the 1960s was expanding rapidly, with:

• New office towers in the Central Business District (CBD).
• Improved road networks and the expansion of motor-centric infrastructure.
• Growth of suburban areas such as Sandton, which would later become major economic hubs.

The mining industry remained central, though the city was increasingly diversifying into finance, manufacturing, and services.

Forced Removals

The decade saw intensified clearance of racially mixed or non-white neighbourhoods:

• Sophiatown, a culturally vibrant Black and multiracial area, was demolished and replaced by the white suburb of Triomf.
• Areas in the CBD and inner suburbs were rezoned for white occupation, pushing Black, Indian, and Coloured residents to townships on the periphery.

These removals were among the most significant social upheavals of the era.

The Growth of Townships

Townships such as Soweto (South Western Townships) expanded dramatically:

• Population growth was driven by rural–urban migration, though tightly regulated.
• Housing shortages were chronic.
• Residents often faced long commutes to jobs in white-designated areas.

Despite hardships, townships developed strong community networks, cultural creativity, and political consciousness.

Economic Landscape

Mining and Industrial Power

Johannesburg remained the commercial heart of South Africa, anchored by:

• Gold mining on the Witwatersrand
• Banking and finance firms
• Expanding manufacturing sectors

The city attracted investment and maintained high levels of employment, though opportunities were profoundly unequal.

Racialised Labour Structure

Apartheid enforced a rigid labour hierarchy:

• Skilled and managerial positions were reserved for white workers.
• Black workers faced job restrictions, lower wages, and limited career progression.

Trade unions were tightly controlled, with strikes restricted or banned, contributing to labour tensions that would erupt more forcefully in later decades.

Social and Cultural Life

A Divided Social World

Johannesburg culture in the 1960s existed in two sharply differentiated spheres:

White Johannesburg

• Enjoyed modern amenities, cinemas, theatres, restaurants, and suburban comforts.
• Saw growing prosperity, buoyed by industrial growth and government investment.
• Was largely shielded from the daily machinery of apartheid.

Black Johannesburg

• Experienced overcrowding, police harassment, and strict curfews in townships.
• Faced limited access to education, healthcare, and recreational facilities.
• Maintained vibrant cultural traditions, music scenes, and underground political networks.

Culture Under Pressure

Government censorship restricted film, literature, and music. However:

• Jazz clubs and shebeens in townships fostered artistic innovation.
• Writers and journalists chronicled life under apartheid, often at great personal risk.

The tension between repression and creativity defined much of Johannesburg’s cultural identity in the 1960s.

Transportation and Mobility

Mobility was heavily racialised:

• Black residents required passes to travel into the city.
• The public transport system—chiefly buses and trains—was overcrowded and poorly maintained for non-white commuters.
• Private car ownership was largely limited to white residents, further entrenching spatial inequality.

The city’s geography—prosperous central and northern suburbs versus peripheral townships—was deliberately shaped by apartheid engineering.

Everyday Life in the 1960s

Housing and Living Conditions

• White suburbs featured spacious homes, gardens, and modern conveniences.
• In contrast, Black families in townships often lived in small, state-built houses or informal settlements with incomplete services.

Education

Education was segregated and unequal:

• White schools received substantial funding, modern facilities, and well-trained teachers.
• Black schools operated under the Bantu Education system, geared towards limiting academic advancement.

Healthcare

Access to healthcare was similarly divided, with under-resourced hospitals and clinics in townships and full-service facilities in white areas.

Law Enforcement and State Power

Johannesburg in the 1960s was characterised by:

• Heavy policing
• Special Branch surveillance
• The routine arrest of Black residents for pass violations
• Public order laws that limited gatherings, speech, and political organisation

Police operations often targeted townships, workers’ hostels, and suspected activists, fostering an atmosphere of fear and resentment.

The City’s Demographic and Social Dynamics

Johannesburg’s population continued to diversify despite restrictive laws. The city included:

• A large Black African population (Zulu, Sotho, Tswana, Xhosa, and others)
• Indian and Coloured communities, many of whom lived in designated areas such as Lenasia
• A white population with European roots, especially British and Afrikaans

These communities lived highly segregated lives, but their economic and social interdependence was impossible to untangle.

International Perception and Isolation

By the mid-1960s, South Africa faced growing international criticism:

• Trade unions, churches, and civil-rights organisations abroad condemned apartheid.
• Some countries began economic and cultural boycotts.
• The government responded defensively, promoting a narrative of order, development, and anti-communism.

Johannesburg, as the country’s most visible metropolis, symbolised both South Africa’s modern ambitions and its moral contradictions.

Conclusion

Johannesburg in the 1960s was a city of stark contrasts. It was wealthy yet repressive, modern yet deeply segregated, culturally vibrant yet politically constrained. The decade entrenched the spatial, economic, and racial divides that would define the city for decades to come. It also sowed the seeds of resistance, community solidarity, and cultural creativity that would play crucial roles in the struggles of the 1970s and 1980s.

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