Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Louise Dewast

A jazz club in Johannesburg plays its last songs and laments downtown's decline

South Africa Jazz Club Last Songs - (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

On a Friday evening in downtown Johannesburg, a world away from the genteel suburbs that include some of Africa's wealthiest neighborhoods, groups of men huddle on a dark street as a security patrol whizzes past.

Around the corner, popular jazz venue the Marabi Club is hosting its last Friday night show before closing down – another victim of the city center’s decay and the jarring inequality in post-apartheid South Africa.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.