The 44 Main Street 8km

The 8 km route is for people who enjoy walking and would like to do so safely through the inner city, see the sights, the historic beauty, and the potential of the city. It’s also an opportunity to see the ongoing work that Jozi My Jozi and its partners have done restoring the City’s dignity.

The route starts at Ellis Park, and goes through the Maboneng Precinct, a vibrant, redeveloped urban neighborhood on the eastern edge of the CBD. Its name, meaning "Place of Light" in Sotho, reflects its transformation from a neglected industrial area into a global destination for art, culture, and creative entrepreneurship.

Walking past Arts on Main, which includes world-famous South African artist William Kentridge’s The centre for the less good Idea, the walkers arrive at Jewel City, a multi-billion rand urban renewal project that has transformed a once-blocked-off industrial site into a vibrant, open-access "live-work-play" precinct. Spanning six city blocks in the eastern CBD, it serves as a crucial link between the Maboneng Precinct and the traditional city center.

The route passes by Absa Towers, one of the Walk the Talk City Champion partners, which serves as Absa’s global headquarters. The Absa city campus was designed to improve pedestrian links and public spaces in the surrounding Marshalltown area, making it part of a significant corridor of urban renewal.

Next up is the Johannesburg City Hall, representing a significant era of the city's architectural and political history. Completed in 1914, the building is an example of Edwardian Baroque style and has served as a central stage for many of South Africa's most pivotal moments. It now houses the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.

The Rissik Street Post Office located directly opposite the Johannesburg City Hall, was built in 1904. It was once the tallest building in the city and served as the primary postal hub during the height of the gold rush.

Walkers pass The Rand Club, founded in 1887, one year after the discovery of gold. Located in the heart of the historic financial district, the current building—the third on the site—is another magnificent example of Edwardian Neo-Baroque architecture and was completed in 1904. Originally established as a sanctuary for the "Randlords," the club has transitioned from an exclusive colonial institution into a modernized, inclusive heritage club.

The route also passes through the Standard Bank campus in Marshalltown, another of the Walk the Talk City Champion partners, and goes past the Maharishi Invincibility Institute’s campuses and its Field of Dreams.

The Maharishi Institute is a founding partner of Jozi My Jozi and brings thousands of students into the city center daily. It has helped transform Marshalltown into a safe, bustling "Education Town," proving that urban decay can be reversed through social investment. The Field of Dreams, launched in November 2025, is the first full-size soccer field built in the city center in over a century.

The walk reaches the former Anglo American campus at the end of Main Street, and the 44 Main Street building which was the historic heart of the Anglo American empire. Completed in 1939, the building is an exceptional example of Art Deco architecture, and it’s famous for its intricate stone carvings and bronze work. Above the main entrance, there are relief sculptures depicting various aspects of the mining industry and African wildlife.

Returning back to base, walkers pass through Gandhi Square, named after Mahatma Gandhi to honour his legal career and activism in the city during the early 1900s. Originally known as Government Square, it was transformed in the late 1990s from a neglected bus terminus into a secure, pedestrian-friendly urban plaza that serves as a model for inner-city revitalization. Look out for the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, marking the site where his law offices were once located.

And then it’s past the Carlton Centre, the 50-story skyscraper and shopping center that served as the tallest building in Africa for 46 years from 1973 until 2019. One of the city's most recognizable Brutalist landmarks, architecturally, its exposed concrete and functionalist design are classic examples of mid-century international style.

After walking through the Ellis Park Stadium, the 8 km walk finishes next to the Johannesburg Athletic Stadium, where walkers are invited to spend the rest of the day relaxing and listening to the Walk the Talk concert.