In a bold and intriguing move, Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau will be attempting to make Sandton a more eco-friendly and less car-dense zone. Yes, that hub of business, real estate, socialites and shopping is set to feature far less cars throughout the month of October, along with some public transport upgrades to its roads.

This move is prompted by International EcoMobility World Festival, which will be held in the Sandton CBD. As evidenced in the video below, organisers the ICLEI is ambitiously aiming to make the Sandton the first car-free CBD in Africa.   

Central Business District without cars? 1 from The Urban Idea GmbH on

Zero emissions

Coincidentally, Sandton was not the initial host venue proposed, with the hipster havens of Melville and the recently revived Maboneng district being touted at first. “The reality is that when Sandton City was built in 1973, the city did not expect the neighbouring area to become the economic epi-centre of Johannesburg," says Tau. He added that "Sandton is still growing and it would be irresponsible for us not to intervene before it becomes worse - which is why we thought it appropriate to host the festival there.”

As such, the October hosting deadline will give Tau and his team the chance to make the area more eco-friendly with dedicated cyclist, pedestrian and public transport lanes (Rea Vaya) all set to be created. Added to this, there will be a new fleet of 150 Metro buses, all of which will feature eco-friendly combustion systems.

Rethinking the CBD

This development, apart from making a more eco-friendly environment, is aimed at creating a more engaging and exciting city experience, according to Tau. “We want residents and workers in Sandton to be on the streets, not in office parking spaces, canteens and then back home. They should experience the city in the streets. We want to create excitement and we want to do it now," he adds enthusiastically.

“We can build a different city, but it requires a different mindset. We want to show residents that an eco-mobile future is possible and that public transport, walking and cycling can be accessible, safe and attractive,” Tau concludes.

Fingers crossed

This is certainly an ambitious project, as South Africa, and Johannesburg in particular is a place where cars have normally proved a more reliable and quicker mode of transport (if you can afford them). It will be interesting to see how the changes are received by the public in the coming months.