The Kliptown study area is situated on the boundaries of Regions D and G of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. The area lies on the southern edge of Soweto and the northern section of Eldorado Park and Klipspruit West – about 22km from the Johannesburg Central Business District.
Kliptown is renowned for its significant role in the anti-apartheid struggle, as it was where the Freedom Charter was adopted in 1955. Some of the notable landmarks in Kliptown include the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication and the Kliptown Museum which commemorate such pivotal moments in the history of the South African democracy.
The area is now a vibrant community with a mix of formal and informal settlements. It is also home to various socio-economic initiatives aimed at improving living conditions and empowering residents. Despite several development challenges, Kliptown presents significant opportunities, such as being well-connected via rail and the BRT networks and hosting a vibrant informal trade market that could be upscaled to provide a more formal economic sector.
The broader vision for Kliptown focuses on developing the area as “…a mixed-use, transit-oriented development with an integrated lively, dynamic and vibrant environment with quality public spaces and infrastructure where residents can prosper and enjoy sustainable livelihoods within an integrated community network” – Kliptown Urban Development Framework.
Approx. site area:
- Walter Sisulu Square - 4.34 hectares.
- Square & Surroundings - 104 hectares
Key Information
The site comprises different suburbs, including Kliptown, Winnie Camp, Freedom Charter Square, and Pimville Zones 4 and 8 with a population of 28,850 people. There are about 7,292 households, with an average household size of 3.96.
Priority areas & main expectations:
Proposals should revitalise Kliptown and its surrounding areas into a green transit-oriented development (TOD) that integrates Clean Air Zone policies. Students should concentrate on formalising housing, promoting local economic development, strengthening assets like Walter Sisulu Memorial Square, developing an efficient movement system, and air-quality improvement strategies.
I’m interested! What next?
- Review the Site Form and access the Dataroom to learn more about the site.
- Form your team. Looking for teammates? Fill out the Team-Up Form to connect with fellow participants.
- Register your team by Thursday 20 March 2025. Click the ‘Register your team' button on the top-right-hand corner of this page, and fill out the Team Form, which can be downloaded from the Application Guidelines page.