INNER-CITY REVIVAL
William Kentridge to Maboneng’s rescue?
Shop managers are hoping the artist can turn the centre into a creative hub and bring the crowds back
One of SA’s foremost artists, William Kentridge, has made an R8m bid for the original Maboneng development, Arts on Main. He made the bid at an auction last month and many residents and shop owners in the 1km² redeveloped district hope he succeeds, thereby injecting a much-needed vote of confidence in Maboneng. The revitalised area has lost some of its shine in recent years, after its original investor and manager, Propertuity, collapsed. Maboneng thrived when it opened in time for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, but over the past three to five years, interest from tourists and weekend visitors has waned. For example, Lenin’s Vodka Bar, which served the most varied selection of vodka in Gauteng, has closed down. People who came from the suburbs in search of entertainment complained that paying R60 for a beer was just too expensive in an economy that has barely grown in the past decade. Shop managers are hopeful that Kentridge, who runs a studio in the Arts on Main building, can turn the ...
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