Gauteng street names map shows apartheid and anti-apartheid legacies

A recent mapping project led by the Gauteng City-Region Observatory analyzed nearly 44,000 street names across Gauteng, South Africa, revealing that 57% of streets are named after people. This extensive dataset shows that the province’s street names reflect multiple layers of history, including figures from both apartheid and anti-apartheid eras.

The study found that historically black townships such as Soweto, Mamelodi, Kagiso, and Atteridgeville have a concentration of streets named after prominent anti-apartheid leaders like Nelson Mandela, Steve Biko, Chris Hani, and Oliver Tambo. At the same time, names linked to colonial and apartheid figures such as Jan Smuts, Paul Kruger, and Hendrik Verwoerd also appear across Gauteng.

This coexistence of names from different historical periods illustrates how Gauteng’s street network functions as a vast, dispersed memorial landscape, preserving diverse public memories. The research underscores how street names do more than guide navigation; they make histories and identities visible in shared spaces, which is significant given that 21% of Gauteng residents report feeling they do not belong where they live, and 31% feel uncared for by their communities.

By examining these naming patterns, the project encourages reflection on whether community histories are adequately represented in public spaces, which may influence residents’ sense of belonging and identity in the province.