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Iconic Zoo Lake Bowling Club destroyed by fire

The fire destroyed the structure that has recently undergone renovations worth over R1-million.

Poelano Malema
Written by
Poelano Malema
City Writer, Time Out South Africa
Photo of fire fighters taken in Johannesburg, South Africa
EyeEm Mobile GmbH iStock | Photo of fire fighters taken in Johannesburg, South Africa
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 Fire has destroyed one of Johannesburg’s most cherished landmarks, the Zoo Lake Bowling Club

According to News24, the blaze broke out on Wednesday, 1 October 2025, with officials receiving a call at around 06:15. Firefighters from Fire Ops SA and the City of Johannesburg Emergency Services responded swiftly and arrived at the scene by 06:33, but by then the structure had already been engulfed in flames.

“One of our colleagues from Padel saw smoke. He immediately contacted one of our employees on site to try to get to the scene where the smoke was coming from. It just started engulfing the place. It looks like it started somewhere in the kitchen,” said Divian Cooper, the tenant renting the building from the City of Johannesburg, in an interview with News24.

According to the Citizen, 25 firefighters battled the flames, which were fueled by the building’s timber structure and ongoing renovations.

The exact cause of the fire remains unknown.

Cooper explained that the property had recently undergone renovations worth more than R1 million. “The unfortunate part is that I spent more than a million rand in renovations. We were budgeting R2 million,” he told News24.

The upgrades were meant to be unveiled later this year.

The historic sports club, established in 1934, has long been a hub for community life. Situated in Princess of Wales Terrace, Parkview, in Randburg, it has been a favoured spot for picnics, dog walks, jogging, and canoeing. It is also a popular venue for hosting wedding receptions, and outdoor conferences. Its main attraction was its reputation as a popular venue to watch live sport on screen. 

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