Four Joburg CBD Streets Are Getting New Names and Every One Tells a Story |
The City is renaming four streets around St Mary's Cathedral to honour anti apartheid heroes as part of the Desmond Tutu Precinct |
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Four Joburg CBD Streets Are Getting New Names, and Every One Tells a Story
The streets around St Mary's Cathedral in the Johannesburg CBD are about to look very different on the map.
The City of Johannesburg has opened public comment on a plan to rename four major streets in the inner city. The name changes are part of the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Precinct, a large-scale regeneration project that aims to transform 80 hectares of downtown Joburg into a walkable, people-first neighbourhood.
The proposed new names honour some of the most important figures tied to this exact corner of the city. The Four Streets and Their New Names
Plein Street will become Desmond Tutu Street. Archbishop Tutu became the first Black Anglican Dean of Johannesburg at St Mary's Cathedral in 1975. He went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 and became one of the most recognised voices against apartheid worldwide.
Wanderers Street will become Simeon Nkoane Street. Bishop Nkoane served as the Bishop Suffragan of Johannesburg East and was known for his deep commitment to the community around St. Mary's.
De Villiers Street will become Trevor Huddleston Street. Huddleston was a British-born Anglican bishop whose anti apartheid work in South Africa made him one of the movement's most influential international allies. His book Naught for Your Comfort exposed the realities of apartheid to the world.
Hoek Street will become Cathedral Street. The new name points directly to St Mary's Cathedral, the spiritual heart of the precinct and a central landmark of the inner city. Part of a Much Bigger Plan
The street renaming is one piece of the broader Desmond Tutu Precinct project led by the Johannesburg Development Agency. The precinct plan was first approved in 2022, and the draft plan was recently released for public comment.
The full vision includes pedestrian-friendly streets, safer crossings, traffic calming, a new public square, support for informal traders, and better connections between taxis, buses, and rail services around Park Station.
The goal is to shift the balance of the CBD away from cars and toward people. How to Have Your Say
The public comment period for the street renaming is open from 8 April to 5 May 2026. Anyone can submit their views.
A New Chapter for the Inner City
By changing these four street names, the City is doing more than updating signs. It is writing the legacy of Desmond Tutu and the people who stood beside him into the everyday life of downtown Johannesburg. For the thousands of commuters, workers, and residents who walk these streets every day, the names will serve as a reminder of the history that shaped this city. |
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