Hillbrow, South Africa: Between Heaven and Hell

February 23, 2012 from Al Jazeera English

Filmmaker Clifford Bestall takes a personal journey to the heart of Johannesburg's Hillbrow district, one of South Africa's most dangerous neighborhoods -- one which was once his home and one of the country's most prosperous areas. Through the stories of some of its residents, he reveals a rich seam of today's urban South African experience. Part of the Witness series from Al Jazeera English.

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Hillbrow

Hillbrow is an inner city residential neighbourhood of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is known for its high levels of population density, unemployment, poverty and crime. In the 1970s it was an Apartheid-designated 'whites only' area but soon became a 'grey a... Explore this topic

South Africa

South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of Africa. It is divided into nine provinces and has 2,798 kilometres of coastline. To the north lie the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe; to the east are Mo... Explore this topic

Urban decay

Urban decay is the process whereby a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude. It may feature deindustrialization, depopulation or changing population, economic restructuring, abandoned buildings, high local unemployment, fragmented ... Explore this topic

Johannesburg

ヨハネスブルグは、南アフリカ共和国ハウテン州にある都市（都市圏）、同州の州都である。同国最大の都市であり、人口は約388万人。2011年の近郊を含む都市圏人口は755万人であり、同国第1位、アフリカでは第4位である。アフリカを代表する世界都市の1つであり、2012年にアメリカのシンクタンクが公表したビジネス・人材・文化・政治などを対象とした総合的な世界都市ランキングにおいて、世界第52位、アフリカではカイロに次ぐ第2位の都市と評価された。都市のGDPは1100億ドルで、南部アフリカ第1位である。アフリカ最大の証券取引所であるJSEの所在地でもあ... Explore this topic

Inner city

The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, the term is often a euphemism – an increasingly inaccurate one – applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby are... Explore this topic

South Africa under apartheid

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Poverty

Poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution refers to the deprivation of basic human needs, which commonly includes food, water, sanitation, clothing, shelter, health care and education. Relative pove... Explore this topic

Boxing

Boxing is a martial art and combat sport in which two people engage in a contest of strength, speed, reflexes, endurance and will by throwing punches with gloved hands. Amateur boxing is an Olympic and Commonwealth sport and is a common fixture in most of the major internation... Explore this topic

Urban area

An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets. Urban areas are... Explore this topic

Al Jazeera English

Al Jazeera English is an international 24-hour English-language news and current affairs TV channel headquartered in Doha, Qatar. It is the sister channel of the Arabic-language Al Jazeera. The station broadcasts news features and analysis, documentaries, live debates, current... Explore this topic

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Hillbrow

South Africa

Urban decay

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