Welcome to Local Intel, your guide to Johannesburg from the people who know it best. We chat with local personalities, tastemakers, and city enthusiasts to unlock their favourite spots and untold stories. Forget the guidebooks, this is authentic Joburg.
Johannesburg has always been a city of reinvention, and few people capture its evolving energy quite like award-winning radio personality and sex educator Leah Jazz. As a voice that resonates through the city’s airwaves and creative hubs, Leah’s perspective on Joburg is as vibrant and unapologetic as the streets she calls home.
In this week’s feature, we dive into what makes the City of Gold shine for her right now. From the thriving, boundary-pushing energy of the queer community, led by the likes of the Johannesburg Queer Chorus and the electric VNJ parties, to the leafy, walkable charm of Parkhurst, Leah paints a picture of a city that is as much about intimate neighbourhood rituals as it is about high-octane nightlife.
Whether she’s fuelling up with a crispy potato breakfast at Cnr Cafe or losing herself on the dancefloor at Club AM, Leah’s version of the good life is a love letter to Joburg’s grit, glamour, and greenery.
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Cnr Cafe in Craighall is the best breakfast in town; they do this crispy potato poached egg situation that’s just perfect. When I turned 30, I asked if we could have breakfast there, and when I arrived, I found that my family had flown up from Durban for the day (!) to meet me. It holds a very special place in my heart.
I get a croissant (or six) from De Baba in Melville when I really want a treat. It’s also on the way to my doctor, so if I’m ever feeling under the weather, it’s more of a cure than any medicine.
I’m really loving Naked Woolf in Rosebank. It’s a new spot, from the creators of The Wild Side, which I also love. It’s got a low-key speakeasy vibe, and if you’re lucky, you can explore the members-only club in the back, called 8.
Pablo House in Melville is a hidden gem; I think more people should know about it. Their food is incredible, the views are magnificent, and the parking is rubbish. It’s basically Cape Town. I jest, but this boutique hotel is hitting all the right notes for me when I want to feel like I’ve escaped the city.
Liban has the best food in Joburg, hands down. I love sharing food with everyone, so everyone gets to taste everything, and they’ve never done me wrong.
44 Stanley is one of my favourite places to shop if I have to. I have a bit of an obsession with Me & B, and my wardrobe is pretty stacked with their stuff. I’m not much of a gifter; I’m much more likely to take someone on an experience, like a clay cafe or getting a tattoo. I took my bestie to Artwave, got tattoos, and went to a theatre show all in one day, and it was perfect.
I graduated from a Winston girl in Durban to a Smoking Kills hun in Joburg. Something something leopards and spots… It’s basically the same but with cocktails. Catch me outside talking up a storm at a table outside or tearing up the dance floor from behind the decks. When they close, Club AM.
If you can time your trip with an event at Shepstone Gardens, I still think it’s the most magnificent space in the whole city. For a magical sunset, Northcliff Tower never gets old.
I live in Parkhurst, and I think it’s the best suburb in the city. It’s walkable, the streets are lined with trees, and 4th Avenue is always bustling with beautiful people.
If I want a bit of nature or peace and quiet, we’ll either take a drive up to Magaliesburg or go for a walk around Emmarentia Dam. If I’m alone, I’ll take a walk through my neighbourhood because it feels safest.
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