The Melville swimming pool was once Olympic-size and a community go-to. They eventually reconstructed it and made it smaller; now no one goes. Reply to this email and tell us why, even though it's summer, you don't go. Welcome to Melville Untold

In This Week's Newsletter,

• Looking Inside with Anna Stroud 📚

• First Thursdays are coming to Melville! 🎨

• Mimosa Montessori unveiled the Alleyway Project 👧

Let’s go. 

— Aubrey Moloto, Kele Jackson

The Digest

Looking Inside with Anna Stroud 📚

When the SABC moved into the area in the 60s, Melville transformed from a conservative family neighbourhood into a working-class, cosmopolitan area. The SABC and News24 Media Park brought a new type of Melvillian: the creative. This crowd paved the way for the bohemian culture that became synonymous with Melville, as eateries, bars and music joints sprang up at every corner.

Over the next 40 years, Melville became a creative's sanctuary where musos, journalists, actors and writers came to find their tribe. A safe haven of self-expression, eclectic style and gees. You could grab a drink at the Koffiehuis and "famous people watch". It was these times that gave birth to 7th Street's big 7de Laan moment.

The New Generation of Icons

A new generation of icons has arrived. Movers and shakers contributing to Mzansi's cultural exports. Famous people still frequent our streets: Netflix actor Mpho Sibeko, Metro FM DJ Rox Roberson, and just last week, I saw the legendary Ishmael Morabe singing karaoke at Jo's.

This week, we spoke to one of the country's emerging voices: author Anna Stroud, writer of the critically acclaimed novel Who Looks Inside and co-author of the short story collection Power.

From the Klein Karoo to the World

Anna is a true Melvillian because, just like Martin Wenkidu and Picobella's Déon, she was drawn to Melville by the magnetic vibe of the Koppies; she just doesn't know it yet!

Born and raised in a small town in the Klein Karoo, Anna had to fight her way out and became a beacon of hope for her family. Just like Loyiso, founder of Book Circle Capital, she found her escape through books, spending hours at her local library using those pages as a mental shuttle to the rest of the world and beyond.

The Rhodes Scholar Journey

By the time Anna left school, all Rhodes led to Grahamstown. She studied literature on a student loan and baulked at the amount that had to be paid back—but was it worth it? Absolutely! This is where she met her future husband, Sean Stroud.

After graduating, they rode off into the sunset and headed for South Korea to teach English. Before she knew it, Anna was debt-free and headed back home, but this time, destination: Jozi.

Finding Her Footing

With no licence, finding work in Joburg was tough. She went back to Makhanda and worked with her former lecturer at Rhodes, researching and citing for an Antjie Krog book, then commissioned editing for the Rhodes Journalism Review, before moving on to writing business articles for an insurance magazine.

After finally getting her licence at 25, she caught a break and landed a job reviewing books for the Sunday Times. Always finding the humour in life, Anna wrote a blog post about it: Learning to Drive at 25!

She met many published authors at Love Books' launch events and really got a taste of a career in writing. After a good spell with the Times, she left for Asia again - Korea for a bit, then China.

A Health Scare

Anna got shocking news during a visa medical while going to China. The doctor nonchalantly stated, "You have tumour, go see doctor. Next!" Terrified, Anna found a growth on her kidney. Chinese specialists wanted to remove the whole organ. She flew to Hong Kong for a second opinion, then back to Mzansi to do the op. Relieved that it wasn't cancerous, she fully recovered and stayed in the country.

Coming Home to Melville

They tried living in Edenvale, whilst Anna pivoted to freelance copywriting while working towards becoming a published author. Edenvale wasn't for them. They needed space to build their own tribe. Anna remembered that some of her best times were at Love Books. Then this crazy idea came up… ding! "What if we moved to Melville?"

Melville was buzzing during those pre-COVID years. In 2021, as the world opened up from lockdown, she finally found her forever home and settled here in Melville.

A Literary Career Takes Flight

She did her master's at the University of Pretoria, where she wrote a manuscript. This became her first official book, Who Looks Inside. In a full-circle moment, her book launched at Love Books and then rolled out to Book Circle Capital and Exclusive Books.

The novel earned critical praise and significant literary accolades: Anna won best emerging fiction author at the 2025 Humanities and Social Sciences Awards, was shortlisted for the UJ Debut Prize and long-listed for the Sunday Times Literary Award. Michael Boyd stated, "There is an incredible new voice in South African literature". Critics called it "poetic, atmospheric and haunting" and "propulsive, often surreal".

Embracing the Melville Spirit

Since Who Looks Inside, Anna has submerged herself in the Melville spirit, getting involved in the community whilst growing her career. She's come out of her cocoon as an introvert—acting in a Franklin Players Theatre show, and was cast on Come Dine With Me SA. She contributed to the Power book collection and recently entered the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Hold thumbs, Melville, let's wish her well!

On the community front, she's grown close with the Koppies community and volunteered with Elsje's weeding group.

Giving Back Through Books

Having a deep belief in the power of books, Anna has become part of Fair Social—an organisation aiming to "get together for social justice, through libraries, literacy and learning". They create free pop-up libraries for people to gain access to books.

They did one at Tilt Coffee, where it still lives in Top Dose to this day, and will be partnering with Johannesburg Child Welfare soon at Joburg Artists Market. She's also an avid supporter of local businesses and community initiatives, always ready to get stuck-in and spread that Melville magic.

Why Melville?

Anna's love for Melville is all about its "creative energy, atmosphere and commitment to community betterment". She loves that "people come together to do something". Her most memorable moment was the first time hiking on the Koppies; an "incredible natural treasure, right in the middle of the city", and meeting Wendy and Elsje, who she calls "formidable women who just quietly get things done".

Watch out, Melville, we've got another icon on the rise! It's lovely having such down-to-earth, grounded community members making major moves on the world stage.

Support Anna by buying her book from Love Books or Book Circle Capital, or donate books to the "Booksmas" initiative happening at Joburg Artist Market (27 Boxes) on 6 December. If you run a business, consider having her write your copy?

If you enjoyed this week’s sweet digest, consider buying us a coffee; Payshap id: 0605293425 (Standardbank)/ Snap Scan

What’s Happenin’ 🤔

This week's gig guide is giving fun for grown-ups. Because why should kids have all the fun? Get out, grab an umbrella and mingle with your community!

Check out the online events calendar for the regular events - The Melville Pulse Events Calendar 

Melville Weather For The Week ☔️

Wednesday 

25° 🌡️ 13°  | 🌤️ |  🌧️ 3% | W 11 km/h 💨

Thursday  

23° 🌡️ 13° | 🌩️ | 🌧️ 90% | NNW 15 km/h 💨

Friday 

23° 🌡️ 12° | ☁️ | 🌧️ 55% | WNW 9 km/h 💨

Saturday 

25° 🌡️ 13° | ⛅️ |  🌧️ 56% | NNW 9 km/h 💨

Sunday

25° 🌡️ 14° | ⛅️ | 🌧️ 55% | NNW 11 km/h 💨

Monday 

22° 🌡️ 11° | ⛅️ |  🌧️ 55% | WNW 6 km/h 💨

Tuesday 

22° 🌡️ 12° | ☁️ |  🌧️ 55% | N 11 km/h 💨

Live & Music Events Lowdown 🎸

 Honestly, it's been very quiet on the music front recently, but fear not. We'll keep eking out those vibes for you, even if we have to hum them ourselves.

22/11 | Saturday | 2 pm | Great Dane | No Fans Just Friends | Free

21/11 | Friday | 6 pm | Great Dane | A Random Groove | Free

22/11 | Saturday | 6 pm | Coca Restaurant and Lounge | More Than Friends Concert ft. Vincent Misscato | R100

22/11 | Saturday | 7.30 pm | chiesa dI PAZZO LUPi | Live performance: Sonic Lens | R250

For more updates as the week goes on, visit our Instagram page @snapson7th or our new Melville Pulse event calendar

Civil Matters👷‍♀️

Water Infrastructure Upgrades: What to Expect

At our interview with Julia Fish after the Water4All protest, she spoke about how ring-fencing of water revenue would ensure that projects like the Hurst Hill 2 reservoir or the Crosby pump station, which have taken longer than their projected timeframes to be upgraded, could be completed faster.

Well, last Friday, we went on a water infrastructure upgrade oversight visit with Cllr Jacobs and Jonathan Thompson to find out why these projects are still being delayed, when we can expect them to be finished, and if there'll be any shutdowns or inconveniences that the community can expect as these projects come online.

While the new tower is almost complete, the reservoir is the cornerstone of these upgrades. It's designed to serve a larger area but, more importantly, relieve massive pressure on the interconnected water system. In a strategic shift, the project team has decided to bring the reservoir online before the tower.

This approach was made to deliver benefits to the widest possible area as quickly as possible by prioritising the component that serves a larger portion of our communities.

Melville won't be supplied by this new reservoir, but activating it will have a huge impact on residents because it's taking on a larger portion of the overall supply load and reducing strain on the older infrastructure that currently serves us. This will improve the reliability and resilience of the interim network, benefiting every connected household.

Pending the successful completion of final water quality tests, they anticipate the new reservoir will be brought into service in the coming weeks. Official shut down communication will be sent out soon. The councillor and JT will let the us know within good time, if Melville will be affected.

The Tail End 🐾

Business Bites 📂

Sbhiva: Where VW Beetles Meet Fashion

Another funky business is settling well into the Joburg Artists Market. We went by the bright yellow crate and noticed a quiet family and friend gathering celebrating the grand opening of Sbhiva—a new uber-creative specialist brand that's come to Melville. We had to follow up and talk with the owner, Sihle, a classic VW Beetle collector who started a clothing brand to tell stories that speak to this hobby through fabric and design. (He's literally wearing his passion on his sleeve)

He began distributing the threads online, selling on WhatsApp and then setting up pop-up shops at markets. They quickly gained popularity because of their creative use of material. Sihle pointed out one very cool design and explained that its fabric comes directly from the seats of his first Beetle.

His first stockist was the now-defunct Box Shop in Soweto that used the same crates concept as 27 Boxes. He came to Melville, and especially JAM, because he had a strong connection with that container concept. He also frequented Melville as a young adult and enjoys the energy here.

He says that Melville is a transformative area with ongoing developments, a diverse population with students, locals and internationals, and he has great memories from his days as a student at UJ. He wanted to be a part of that development.

Visit Sbhiva at Joburg Artists Market or follow them on Instagram to check out the merch.

Art In Melville 🎨

It's Official! First Thursdays Are Coming to Melville!

Last week we mentioned that this new resurgence in our hood is led by the art spaces, and cohesive effort was in the works, facilitated by us, to create a joint event amongst the galleries, markets and a couple of local businesses. Well, we now officially have the green light!

We had a follow-up meeting to finalise logistics and, lo and behold, we are insanely excited to announce that The Melville Art Mile's First Thursdays pilot event is happening on 4 December from 4pm to 9pm.

Three Ways to Experience It:

1. Completely Free: Great for residents and community members who want to roam freely and enter any space when they want to.

2. Ticketed Experience: You have access to workshops and interactive activities prepared by each venue. You choose where you want to go and what you want to try by following the map with time slots for things.

3. Guided Tour by Snaps On Seventh: We curate the optimal route and time it so that you get to experience every single thing the Art Mile has to offer, with complimentary wine and refreshments. (The VIP, 'no-thinking-required' option.)

We're in talks with the TukTuk drivers to be on route to make it easier for patrons to move around safely. There'll be security support with help from the MRA and MSI, and Creass Community Services will make sure the route is safe and clean, G20 style!

Community Feedback Needed

We've sent out a form to get feedback from you, the community because this is an inclusive event, it’s for everyone. Together, we can create something amazing that, over time, can uplift the hood a bit and attract tourists and people who will support businesses. Maybe even more types of businesses will want to come.

We aren't expecting a massive success for the first time—two weeks is very short—but we can have a trial run. Give it a go with the community's support, capture some content and iron out the logistics and security strategy for the real grand launch next year on the 5th of February.

We do value your ideas and feedback. If you haven't done it yet, please let us know your thoughts by filling in the Google Form: Share Your Feedback.

Melville Mudroom's Shop Opens

We had a busy day on Friday because, after the oversight visit with the councillor, the Melville Mudroom had an open day to launch their official shop. It was a quiet but vibrant evening with some gentle sounds from a live band, light drinks and a yummy veggie curry where people picked the bowl they ate with and got to take it home. Dinner and a souvenir? Yes, please!

Attendees had a go at wheel throwing, enjoyed the raku exhibition and bought ceramic dinnerware, among other products like artisanal soaps, clay dinnerware, Mudroom merch and more.

It was such a wonderful evening in their beautiful, tranquil space surrounded by trees and Melville views.

Check out their shop online at melvillemudroom.co.za or follow them on Instagram to find out about their offerings, exhibitions and classes.

Icing On The Cake 🧁 

Mimosa Montessori Primary School Unveiled Their Alleyway Project

On Monday, 17 November, Mimosa finally pulled back the curtain on an innovative infrastructural project that aims to benefit not only the children and families it caters for, but the surrounding community as a whole.

Alleyways usually carry dark and mischievous connotations and wouldn't usually be associated with the well-being of children. But Mimosa realised that their location and premises have a very unique element common throughout the southern side of Kingsway Drive in Auckland Park: an alleyway.

Their preschool is split in two by an alleyway that is often used by cars, students and the homeless. So they teamed up with the ridiculously smart and aware kids to liven the space up, activate it, make it usable and benefit all. This is the Mimosa Alleyway Project.

The Vision

The idea is firstly to clean up and renovate their alleyway-facing entrance by knocking down the tall walls, bringing them in more and widening the space. This allows room to engage the children, have a third space for professionals and people living nearby, and even something better for students to see out their windows in those massive student accommodations around there.

They actually asked the kids what they wanted the alleyway to be, who should use it and what they should do to activate it. They took all the kiddies' ideas and interpreted them in a way that makes sense for a project like this, keeping the safety of the children, motorists and the surrounding community in mind. And they've begun to implement it. (showing that sometimes, the best urban planners are under four feet tall!)

There's been massive improvement, but the project is still in its early stages as they look for ways to fund some of their ideas, taking action on what they can with what they have.

Booksmas Is Coming!

After their vibrant activation at Tilt, leaving a mini library there earlier this year, Fair Social Library is coming back with a Christmas social justice event. They'll be partnering up with Johannesburg Child Welfare on 6 December to host an event where they'll have a mega Christmas tree made from books as a pop-up library, hoping to open up the vulnerable children under JCW care to the world of literature.

We'll be following this one closely with an interview with the organisers in the week before the event to get you more information. But for now, to get involved, you can contact Fair Social and get books you'd like to donate ready for Booksmas!

Thank you! 🙏

Thank you for joining us for the 60th Melville Untold newsletter! Enjoyed the read? Why not tip us? Payshap id: 0605293425 (Standardbank)or Snap Scan

You can also support Snaps On Seventh by booking our camera services for your year-end functions, graduations or matric dance banquets. Let's make magic!

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Til next Wednesday, Melville,

Stay iconic, stay ingenious, stay inspired!

La kon✌️