Finding himself in an unusual frame of mind about his home city of Joburg, Ryan Enslin went in search of hope beyond dysfunction, seeking out fellow Joburgers determined to transform the inner city into a place worth fighting for.

I started falling out of love with Joburg last year. The city that once mesmerised me with her textured, multi-layered existence – the one that demands you look beyond the chaos to find her raw beauty – felt like it was slipping away. This is the Joburg where, if you live here, the odds are stacked against you before your day even begins. The city where stepping onto her streets feels like an act of defiance. That Joburg.

Three years ago, I chose to live in the city, eager to immerse myself in its energy. But each day, it gets harder. A sinkhole opened up on the main road behind my building two years ago, it remains permanently closed. Now, PUTCO buses barrel past my window each morning, their airbrakes and exhaust fumes replacing the once-gentle wake-up calls of laughter and morning chatter of people making their way to work.

That’s just the start. There were 21 days without power this past December. Or that time around the corner when someone stood at my car window, threatening me with a gun and demanding my phone, only to look at it and hand it back.  And the countless tyres I’ve lost to Joburg’s infamous potholes. That Joburg.

Lately, I’ve found myself flirting with other cities, considering a life split between here and elsewhere. But what did it mean that I no longer wanted to live here?