Mayfair, where peace is woven of people, place and purpose
We Built This City is a limited series of photo essays by The Continent on African cities. This week, we are in Mayfair with Delwyn Verasamy.
Words and photos: Delwyn Verasamy
A compact, constantly evolving district that’s home to over 30 nationalities, Mayfair is one of Jo’burg’s most fascinating neighbourhoods. Once a quiet residential suburb, it has transformed into a hub for people who have come here from other African countries and South Asia. Somali and Oromo communities have been setting down roots since the early 1990s.
Walking through Mayfair, the senses are immediately stirred – the adhan, or call to prayer, echoing from mosques just streets apart; the aroma of frankincense, coffee and freshly baked breads drifting through doorways; the murmur of Arabic, Amharic, and Swahili in the air. Dozens of spaza shops, restaurants, and coffee houses line the streets, building a hyperlocal economy sustained by entrepreneurial spirit and communal interdependence.
Many migrants face exclusion and xenophobia in South Africa, which makes their integration into broader society difficult.
But within Mayfair, there’s a distinct warmth and generosity among strangers who have learned to rely deeply on each other. At weddings, it’s not uncommon to see over a thousand guests as the hosts seek to honour everyone who contributed to a couple’s journey. Here, elders still play a vital role, mediating disputes and bridging divides between South Africans and foreign-born residents.
This is not a community that is stuck in the “old ways”. Once male-dominated streets now bustle with families, as women and children become increasingly visible in public life.
Mayfair remains cautious, even protective of its inner life – but for those welcomed in, it reveals a rare kind of intimacy, resilience, and humanity.
