South Africa graffiti: Tourists hunt the 'Big Five' on urban safari

Graffiti is raising the profile and brightening up areas of Johannesburg, infamous for its crime.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUK General ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC VerifySportBusinessFuture of BusinessTechnology of BusinessWork CultureInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersHunting the 'Big Five' on South Africa's walls15 hours agoBy Hamilton Wende, JohannesburgShareHamilton WendeRed Buffalo by Tyke can be seen in Greenside“Today we’re going to look for the ‘Big Five!’” South African guide Eelco Meyjes announces from the front of his safari vehicle - a strange thing to hear on the streets of suburban Johannesburg.

But he is not talking about game, but the wildlife depicted in the city’s graffiti.

Infamous for its crime levels and the high walls topped with electric fences, there are many other sides to South Africa’s beating commercial heart - including what is painted on the surfaces of those walls.

Mr Meyjes, a local entrepreneur, studied art at the city’s University of the Witwatersrand, and this led him to an appreciation of its dramatic street creations.

His first tours began on two wheels. These continue but he expanded into an urban safari in 2021.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9882n8jpnlo

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