Ethiopian quarter: how migrants have shaped a thriving shopping district in South Africa’s city of gold

By: Tanya Zack, University of the Witwatersrand

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: October 28, 2025

Words: 1,549

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 6 days ago

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Since its founding in 1886, Johannesburg, has been a city of migrants, internal and international. But the economic capital of South Africa has undergone big changes since 1994 when South Africa became a democracy. One such change involves migration into the city by people from other African countries.

A new book, The Chaos Precinct: Johannesburg as a port city, by Tanya Zack traces how migrant Ethiopians have shaped a trading post in …

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