By Khaya Ndaba
In the ever-changing City of Johannesburg, Joseph “Max” Kazembe, has experienced pop culture from all walks of life.
He was also part of the start of the Maboneng precinct, which inspired him to form his own touring company.
Originally from Lusaka, Zambia, Max is a huge fan of the City of Gold’s inner city and its culture.
His company is called AureaCityTours. In Portuguese “aurea” means “covered in gold”.
The 25-year-old told Scrolla.Africa: “My love for history and travel, and the joy of working with young people like myself, was the reason I started the company.”
Max lived in Jeppestown with his family before moving to Observatory. His life there was fairly quiet, and nothing could prepare him for the racism he saw in later years.
“My worst moment was when I was cycling with a tourist couple in Bertrams and a drunken driver decided to pull over and tried to attack me simply because we were riding bikes on a road,” he said.
“But luckily the locals know me because of frequent interactions, and they intervened and calmed the situation.”
Their love for the area’s history made him overcome the hate and discrimination.
He said when he moved to places like Bezuidenhout Valley, Kensington and Troyeville with his family it was a turning point in his life.
He experienced many races and cultures coexisting in one location.
The purpose of his company is to encourage locals to travel in their own city and discover the beauty that lies before their own eyes.
“People want to travel overseas when they get the chance, forgetting the real beauty at home. Locals are also limited to travelling to their own motherland,” Max added.
He started AureaCityTours in September 2022, when he felt he had enough experience, had done enough research and had enough networks to kick-start his own tours.
He hopes that through AureaCityTours locals will get a sense of fulfilment, self-awareness and confidence when they can proudly say they know their city.
Pictured above: Max on one of his walking tours
Image source: Supplied
