Johannesburg

Amelia Abraham

South Africa

Queertopia

MOONGA K

This is my favorite thrift store and one I only discovered earlier this year. They've got everything from vintage clothing, to film cameras and super 8's, to vinyls and record players all at really affordable prices. Highly recommend this space as you'd spend the whole day perusing through wonderland.

Another store with a plethora of vintage stuff, they have rad discounts on a weekly basis on clothes and accessories, among many other things.

This is the scene in Mean Girls where Regina George imagines all the girls in high school mauling each other like animals, Dunusa is a jungle and one you should prepare all your energy for as it's wild but you will find so many gems at really cheap prices. Always remember to only have cash with you.

Not only will you meet the cutest little cats but you will step into a big store full of amazing vintage clothing and the store depends solely on donations by supporting 30 charity organisations. Your money would be going to great causes for both people and pets in the neighbouring communities!

Another thrift store that supports charity and offers a wide array of cool clothing to look through.

Every Saturday, you can find thrift markets at Kitcheners with cool styles ranging from denim looks to '80's aesthetics.

Literally anywhere in Maboneng, you will find really lovely thrift stores and during weekends they are alight with markets on the street with incredible styles, and you can find your way to café's and restaurants as you shop.

A beautiful space with a collection of little stores that have boutique fashion to look through.

Johannesburg's Best Thrift Shops with MOONGA K.

Nasty C

It's a place where you get to enjoy being outdoors and connecting to nature. A quick get-away from the city with tiny restaurants with good food and a great chilled vibe. There is always something new to experience in Harties. A great place to enjoy yourself and bask under Africa's sunny skies.

It always comes through with great old-school hip-hop and r&b music that brings back some of the best childhood memories. Melville is a place where the young, trendy and the old meet.

Rockets never disappoints when looking for a great night-out. The crowd is amazing and the drinks keep flowing. Everybody is there to just have a good time

I am big on gaming and motorsports. This spot offers some of the greatest motoring events at international standards.

A man needs to eat every now and then. This spot is a great place to catch up with friends while having some good food.

Shopping is one of my favourite things. This shopping centre is cosy and offers so easy different restaurants and retail stores. It's also easy to get around.

Nicely secluded boutique hotel. It has a relaxing and chilled ambience when in need of luxury treatment and relaxation.

Johannesburg is the concrete jungle where we hustle and chase our dreams. This area is where you get first-hand experience of authentic cultural expression of all those chasing their dreams and making things happen. The people here are very friendly and genuine.

This is an urban part of the city that is full of creative energy. The block is the arts and culture hub of Johannesburg.

A unique cosy bar that offers South African cuisine. It blasts some of the best of local music too.

Johannesburg with Nasty C

Mx Blouse

Johannesburg has a serious lack of establishments that cater particularly to the LGBTQIA+ community, but Tennis Club is one of the venues that are not just paying lip service to “queer friendly” – they really are. It’s one of the few places I feel comfortable rocking up at in a crop top and loads of eyeliner without a worry in the world. In addition to that, they often host gay-themed parties and dress-up parties in general, which are always fun and go right into the early hours of the morning. Tennis Club has often played host to LE GRAND BALL.

Not particularly my cup of tea, but this is a very popular spot. They play all the pop hits and they sometimes have live entertainment in the form of drag performers. It’s located in Illovo, one of the more affluent suburbs, north of the city, and prides itself in being an “open-minded” venue that is welcoming to everyone; gay or not. They have a huge bar, chic interior design, VIP booths and male strippers add to the raunchy, but fun atmosphere.

Black-owned galleries are generally hard to come by anywhere in South Africa, making artist BANELE KHOZA’s project space a welcome anomaly on the cultural landscape. They often host group and solo exhibitions by young, emerging artists and emerging creative across various disciplines including fine art, photography, performance, illustration and more. Every now and again, they also host talks, with an aim at facilitating dialogue around art and design.

This bar located on Melville’s popular 7th Street strip is not gay-owned, neither does it sell itself as a gay bar, but it has become notorious for attracting the community nonetheless. For years, it has been like the gateway to Johannesburg’s POC LGBT community. On Thursday nights in particular, students from the surrounding University communities as well as professionals from all over the city congregate here for affordable drinks and the latest queer favourite pop hits. It gets seriously packed, so arriving before 10pm at least is the only way to guarantee yourself space, or even entrance.

Known as Johannesburg’s second oldest bar, Kitchener’s is also probably one of the city’s most progressive with a music programme that caters to different tastes. It’s a sanctuary for the city’s underground scenes and the queer scene is no exception. The bar is home to Pussy Party, for instance, a monthly party catering specifically to femme revellers and a DJ lineup that is exclusively femme. More than just a party, Pussy Party has become more of a movement.

This is without a doubt my favourite place to go dancing on the weekends, and so far the only place I know of in the city that is strictly about the music, and zero frills. Third Place hosts some of my personal favourite parties and Vogue Nights Jozi, a popular ball that redefined queer nightlife in Johannesburg.

On Saturdays, the city central suburb of Braamfontein comes alive as this market breathes life into it. Throngs of people gather at this market to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and the variety of food, clothing and art stalls as well as live music out in the sun. Neighbourgoods is the sister market to Cape Town’s Old Biscuit Mill based market of the same name, owned by entrepreneurs Cameron Munro and Justin Rhodes who started both markets in order to give market access to small designers, and producers prioritising quality local produce.

When the market closes around 3pm, Great Dane, a bar across the street from the Neighbourgoods Market, is where you’ll find Joburg’s young and fabulously gay, dancing well into the night. Keep it casual, sure, but be sure to put your best foot forward because everyone here looks beautiful as fuck! Although Great Dane is not a gay bar, Saturday afternoons have specifically and affectionately become known as ‘Gay Dane’. You have to be sure to make it there as soon as possible before the market crowd pours in, making it virtually impossible to find space or to get a drink at the bar. You’ll often find a long queue outside as people wait their turn to go inside.

In the northern suburb of Craighall, the Royale is local favourite and my personal drinking hole on any day of the week. They’ve got great food on offer and the courtyard is a summer time staple for Joburg’s young and well-heeled. The speakeasy at the back of the restaurant is where you’ll most probably find me and my friends dancing, or even hijacking the playlist. Everyone feels at home here and it really feels like a small, close knit community where everyone comes to have fun in a safe space.

Queer Spaces in Johannesburg

Kat La Kat

There's a guy called Dj Okapi running that. He deals with people like 'Awesome Tapes from Africa' and sells that very authentic African music.

Used to be a woman's prison in the apartheid days but it’s now a monument. They host events there and its very nice.

In South Africa, we’ve got a tendency of putting a lot of couches and sofas in clubs and sometimes you miss when it’s just a sound system and dance floor. And club is one of those very few raw clubs that you get. It's a proper night club you know.

Has a nice dance floor. They’re very open minded and book a lot of underground DJ’s and musicians.

Kat La Kat's Guide to Johannesburg

Lordkez

This is a collection of shops, restaurants and galleries all in one space in Johannesburg. My favourite spot to go to when I am there is called "Peachy" they have incredible "Asianesque Wings" that you need to try out. They also have live music which is always great, especially when it is Jazz!

This is one of the best places I have been to in Johannesburg. The food is incredible, the music is so nice and the overall aesthetic of the place is amazing, in fact, I shot some scenes for my music video "Sunday" in the venue. When you go there you need to ask for Katlego Mlambo, he is the head chef - award winning type of guy.

This is a really cool place to go chill on a Saturday afternoon, it is a food and drink market that happens in the city, great views, good music and tasty food is always a good combination.

My favorite part about these gardens is the river with the fish, I like feeding the fish, it is so peaceful and green. Oh, they also have ducks and ducks are really cute. Sometimes, you just need to sit under a tree and breathe in fresh air with your shoes off, this is the perfect place for this.

This is an old school cinema based in Braamfontein, which is near Johannesburg city centre. They showcase indie films there, both local and international. It's really great to spend an evening watching indie films and eating popcorn, I feel so vintage when I do that.

This place is really cool, it is a lifestyle centre made up of over 100 empty shipping containers filled with different fashion and retail stores, there are also some really cool coffee shops with great doughnuts, they sometimes have live music too, if you watching live music you need a glass of wine. South Africa has the best wine.

This rooftop is on the 15th Floor of a designer hotel in the middle of Johannesburg City Centre, the views of the city are incredible and the sunsets are even better. If you ever find yourself in this beautiful venue you have to try the Oysters, they are unbelievable.

Johannesburg

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