Gandhi Square in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Sept. 26, 2025.
Photographer: Ilan Godfrey/Bloomberg
'Mr. Joburg' Reclaims Downtown From Decay, Building by Building
Gerald Olitzki is widely regarded as the leading private investor in urban renewal locally.
The decline of Johannesburg’s old central business district — once home to some of the world’s top mining firms — is among the most high-profile globally.
But as in other struggling downtown areas, private investors have spotted opportunity to create profitable oases of order, reversing decay and neglect where local government and law enforcement failed.