No fun fact today, just a taste of nostalgia. Who remembers Fontana? They had the best spiced chips that raised an entire generation of Melvillians. If you know, you know (and you probably still crave them). Welcome to Melville Untold.

In this week's Melville Untold:

• The Melville Art Mile: Painting the Town Melville-Green 🎨

• 7th Street Gets a New Sammie Spot 🥪

• Book Circle Capital x AFDA 📖

Let’s go. 

— Aubrey Moloto, Kele Jackson

The Digest

The Melville Art Mile: Painting the Town Melville-Green 🎨

An "art mile" is simply a walkable route connecting creative spaces. Contrary to popular belief, "mile" isn’t just an Americanism. It comes from the Latin mille passus (a thousand paces) and has been a staple in British English for ages, part of the imperial measurement system we know well.

Globally, the concept is iconic. Think of Amsterdam’s "Green Mile," Berlin’s "East Side Gallery," or Detroit’s "Art Mile," which rallied over 50 galleries online during the pandemic. In the US, you have Mural Miles in LA and Newark. Back home in Mzansi, Cape Town boasts a mural mile, and in Jozi, the Keyes Art Mile is the gold standard, with the Soweto Art Mile recently gaining serious traction.

Inspiration Strikes

The Melville Art Mile connects our suburb's creative spaces, taking inspiration from these global districts and the successful "first Thursdays" culture pioneered in London and replicated from Cape Town to Detroit.

The spark for this initiative came to me during a recent shoot in Cape Town.  I was deeply moved by their first Thursdays culture. The magnitude of their arts celebration, seeing neighbourhoods literally grind to a festive standstill, from the food trucks and street entertainment of Mitchell’s Plain to the high-end galleries and international artists on Bree Street.

Seeing these starkly contrasting areas celebrate the arts in their own way, I saw different facets of Melville. It hit me that if a close-knit community in Mitchell's Plain could come together in this way and parties could rage in the city, celebrating artists, the quiet residential streets and buzzing business node of Melville could do the same. It clicked instantly: "Melville must do something like this".

The Melville Comeback

In the last year, writing Melville Untold, I've met many business owners. When Snaps On Seventh started, Melville was still reeling from the pandemic and enduring one of its roughest patches.

Since then, the community has rallied. We fought safety issues via the CPF’s CIB patroller scheme—funded by a collective of businesses—which led to the resurrection of the Melville Business Association and a security upgrade to the professional Goni Security.

Then came a momentous occasion: "The Happening." This incredible festival, organised by a coming together of residents and businesses, recreated the flash of Melville’s heyday. It was a family day that many still talk about.

Since then, the spirit of collaboration has soared, leading to the recent community clean-ups, Light-up 4th, 7th Street upgrades, Plenty Green’s community garden and more.

Turning a Corner

While Melville is nowhere near its full potential, it has covered good ground since 2021. If you've been following the newsletter, you’ll see that the suburb has turned a corner. We went from digging deep for positive news to having too much content for one week! The "Melville Pulse" events calendar even had to be created to handle the overflow.

Every single week, without fail, there are gallery exhibitions, special events, and creative workshops. From Gontse Makhene (of The Brother Moves On) hosting African drumming classes with Life-Style Hub, to Tatjana Grabow’s Music Jams at Lovemore Music, and Rae Wilmot and daughter Hildegard hosting pop-ups for handcrafted jewels and crochet at Avalon Art, the calendar is packed!

Art Leading the Resurgence

Melville is on the rise, and art is leading the charge. Alongside the creatives, new eateries and businesses are popping up: the iconic "Die Pienk Kerk" on Chatou Road; The Melville Mansions collective, which includes The Soucery coffee shop; Gourmet Gimba and Resource Gallery.

Most recently, "The Green Fork" joined the Mansions fray. Furthermore, 27 Boxes has fittingly rebranded to "Joburg Artist Marketing" (JAM), promising a sanctuary for artists hosting cultural events weekly. They have since welcomed The Titanic Museum of SA, Indoni Art House, Johannesburg Child Welfare, Derwins, Sorella Indulgence, IKO, DGI@27Boxes, Sbhiva and more - those crates are almost full!

Breaking Down the Silos

The resurgence is real, and the arts are winning by a landslide. Two factors that made the next steps clear are the first Thursdays culture in the Cape, and our hood's comeback being centred on creativity. The silos have to come down.

Since we now know the players individually, even if they don’t know each other, I feel obliged to bring the arts together. It's quite a daunting task, but necessary to get everyone working cohesively. The Art Mile is a creative attempt to do just that, with hopes of eventually establishing a Melville Art Association to support local galleries, artists and cultivate the scene. The vision? To cement Melville as a world-class cultural hub and attract art enthusiasts from Mzansi and beyond.

The Pilot Event: December 4th

The Melville Art Mile’s first project is a pilot first Thursdays culture event on the 4th of December. It invites the city, and especially residents, to celebrate Melville’s cultural heritage with a "Melville Magic" twist.

The route starts at Die Pienk Kerk on the border of Richmond and ends at The Melville Mudroom on Main. The Melville Security Initiative will place trained personnel along the route to ensure a safe, fun walking experience. Prefer not to walk? Tuk-Tuks will be buzzing up and down to transport patrons to their favourite venues.

Participating Businesses & Highlights:

• Stokvel Gallery: A mono print and etching exhibition by Gabriel Stephens with an artist walkabout.

• chiesa di PAZZO LUPi: A collab with the Artisanal Market and a live music show by Sibongile Gwacela and her trio.

• Melville Artisanal Market: Snacks and artisan products along the route, plus a special night market in the chiesa parking lot.

• Studio 79: Martin Wenkidu presents a talk about paper making and live studio demos.

• Die Pienk Kerk: A special Karoo Gothic collaborative evening and the official starting point (get your tickets there).

• The Melville Mansions Collective: An artist mental health workshop at The Soucery, and "Exhibition Through Music" at the Green Fork (in collaboration with Resource Gallery).

• Trov x Oksijen: An exciting collaboration launching at the event.

• DGI@27Boxes: A massive print-making and zine workshop at 27 Boxes in partnership with the children of Johannesburg Child Welfare (some of whom will volunteer as information marshals).

• Melville Mudroom: A pottery workshop and fired mug painting.

• AA Gallerie: A Y2K-themed evening, piercing station, and photobooth.

• Avalon Art: Print-making and bracelet-making workshop.

• Indoni Art House: An exhibition celebrating their first year in Melville with a collective opening featuring pieces from the year's exhibitions with live music.

• Snaps On Seventh: Jozi My Jozi’s "JoziWalks2025" Walk Champion, hosting a curated tour with immersive activities. We’re also the project facilitators.

• 21Folds: Providing souvenirs for the tour guests.

• iheartideas: handling the graphics and developing the brand

Get Your Tickets

Many galleries will be hosting talks and exhibitions alongside these activities. Tickets are available at Quicket:

• Free: For those who want to roam, explore, and support the spaces directly. (helps us with metrics for sponsorship proposals)

• R120: Includes the specific experiences of your choice.

• Premium Guided Tour: Hosted by Snaps On Seventh, including all immersive experiences, complimentary drinks, and a souvenir by 21Folds origami.

So there you have it! A new way to celebrate the arts in Jozi: Melville’s eclectic Art Mile. Enjoy a safe evening walking in our hood or tuk-tuking from gallery to gallery. This is just the pilot event; the grand opening rolls out on Thursday, the 5th of February, and from then on, it’s a monthly fixture. Let's go Melville!

Grab your Melville Art Mile tickets here!

Follow the Melville Art Mile on Facebook and Instagram for more information. Content on the participating businesses is coming soon!

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

What’s Happenin’ 🤔

Month-end November, here's how you can enter the festive season in style! It's a well-balanced week ahead.

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

Melville Weather For The Week ☔️

Wednesday 

25° 🌡️ 14°  | 🌩️ |  🌧️ 55% | NW 15 km/h 💨

Thursday  

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

Friday 

23° 🌡️ 14° | 🌩 | 🌧️ 56% | NNE 11 km/h 💨

Saturday 

26° 🌡️ 14° | ☁️ |  🌧️ 55% | W 9 km/h 💨

Sunday

26° 🌡️ 14° | ⛅️ | 🌧️ 55% | N 7 km/h 💨

Monday 

24° 🌡️ 14° | ☁️ |  🌧️ 55% | NW 11 km/h 💨

Tuesday 

25° 🌡️ 15° | 🌤️ |  🌧️ 55% | N 11 km/h 💨

Live & Music Events Lowdown 🎸

 Jazz, DJs, and more? Music events are back! Get your dancing shoes on.

27/11 | Thursday | 7.30 pm | chiesa di PAZZO LUPi | The Scullery Quintet | R180

27/11 | Thursday | Ratz Bar | Vinyl Thursday ft. Sumthin Brown, Young Smuts and Andrew The DJ | Free

27/11 | Thursday | Great Dane | Double Bill: Abzu x Nu-Bam ft. Ofenste Sebula, BilaldaDJ, BuntuTheGhetto, Shekem_ur_Shekem, AbootET | R100

29/11 | Saturday | 7 pm | Great Dane | Sauti ft. Betty Brown, ZRL, 3rd Degree, Scareface Panda, Shokasunflower, Ukhona, Petaiz and Roho | R50

29/11 | Saturday | 7.30 pm | chiesa di PAZZO LUPi | Heal with…Mr Trumpet Ndumiso Nyovane and his Quartet | R200

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

Business Bites 📂

7th Street Gets a New Sammie Spot

A new eatery joins the 7th Street family; welcome to the strip, Sánduache! It's another venture by Artüro Tequila owner Tania Ikedji. The idea is to cater to a different market: "the digital nomad, busy people on the go, or a quiet spot to catch up on a little reading" at the sandwich bar and café. Tania loves that a sandwich is a simple meal that also allows for a bit of creative flair.

The Spanish theme continues; in case you haven't guessed, the new place's name translates to "Sandwich." The focus is on sammies, but patrons can also expect a breakfast menu and "delicious cookies". (For those of us with a sweet tooth.)

Why Melville? Tania keeps opting to work in Melville because, "quite simply put—I love it here". She was a UJ student, and Melville is nostalgic for her. She loves the quirky, laid-back energy and thinks our hood is unpretentious. (We agree, we're delightfully weird!). She's inspired by the Melville Spirit and sees firsthand, as part of the business community, how Melvillains get stuck-in and work together to affect change. And Tania wants in!

Sánduache officially opens its doors this Saturday, 29 November. Expect "a beautiful space, delicious food and a carefully selected sandwich menu". She reiterates, "Do not pass up on the cookies", they go well with the array of coffees on offer too. We consider this a direct order!

We're extremely excited to have another specialised eatery join the fold. Tania appeals to the community to make Sánduache their new home. (Just don't bring your sleeping bag, she needs the table space.) There are some exciting partnerships and activities around community and wellness planned, so keep your ears peeled and eyes open. You can trust us to keep you informed!

Follow our new eatery on instagram and visit them at the opening this Saturday: FREE COOKIE for the first 30 guests!

Civil Matters👷‍♀️

Your Go-To Guide for Reporting Issues

It's been a while since we did a basic civil matters toolkit. Because screaming into the void is therapeutic, but logging a ticket actually gets things done (sometimes)! Knowing which tool to use yields better results. This week, we bring you an updated guide on how to address issues and which municipal entity handles them.

The Urban Survival Kit:

City Power - Citypower.mobi Power outages: Trees touching powerlines, fallen cables, street lights

Joburg Water - Joburg Water Portal: Burst pipes, poorly marked worksites, sewerage system management issues. (The messy stuff)

JRA (Johannesburg Roads Agency) - [email protected]: Traffic lights, reinstatements, potholes, sinkholes, road markings. (For when the road looks like Swiss cheese).

City Parks - 011 375 5555: Fallen trees, grass cutting

Pikitup - 011 375 5555: Dumping, new bins, business waste collection

CoJ Fire Department and Metro Police - 011 375 5911

Fire Ops (Private Fire Department) - 083 622 6026

Department of Health Ambulance Service - 10177 or 112

ER24 (Private Ambulance Service) - 084 124

Netcare911 (Private Ambulance Service) - 082 911

SAPS Flying Squad - 10111

Brixton SAPS CSC - 071 675 6168

Community Heroes:

Beagle Watch - 011 678 1972

Melville Security Initiative - 066 448 3249

CREASS Community Services - 064 881 2009: Anything urban management-related, message-only system

Save this list. Print it out. Tattoo it on your arm. You never know when you'll need it!

Art In Melville 🎨

Upcoming this Week

As usual, there's so much happening on the Melville Art Mile this weekend:

• AA Gallerie hosts the previously postponed yoga event, Flow, Stillness & Connection, together with Heirloom Apothecary. (Namaste, neighbours)

• Melville Mudroom is back with another Making Healing Dolls event

• It's your last weekend to catch Resource Gallery's If You're Breathing, You're Achieving exhibition before Winds Of Change opens next Friday

• Stokvel Gallery is having a special book, movie and art sale from the collections of Grodon Froud, Monique Vajifdar and Moira MacMurray. Check it out, you might land a collector's item! (Or at least something to make you look very intellectual on your coffee table).

Melville Art Mile Event

Don't forget to grab your Melville Art Mile tickets! Free and mid-tier tickets are unlimited, but we can only take 30 people on the curated experience tour. If you've been wondering when our next Melville Walking Tour is, this is your chance. Get a ticket and let's have some old-fashioned Melville fun! (And by fun, we mean walking, wine, and art—the holy trinity).

The Tail End 🐾

A Fun Fact About German Pointers

Today's Tail End tip is more of a fun fact, courtesy of Ziggy's Pet Pamporium: Did you know that German Pointers have webbed feet? This webbing makes them powerful swimmers and fierce hunters on both water and land, some of the best in the K9 family! They're basically half duck, half dog, and 100% good boys/girls.

Market Watch 🎪

Welcome Back, Melville Market

The Melville Market at Melville Kruisgemeente is back for their third-last market of the year.

We must say, the hood has really felt the impact of them switching to once a month. It's left a hole in our Saturdays the size of a giant pancake. But we're happy to have them back this weekend!

Catch the Market on 4th Avenue this Saturday, 9am–2pm. Stock up on all your favourite goodies because the next time you'll see them is 6 December, then again on 13 December for their 2025 grand finale.

We missed you, MM!

Koppies Check-In ⛰

A Tiny Treasure at the Koppies

The Koppies crew found a beautiful new flower: "a dainty Asclepiad" hidden in the veld, blossoming proudly after the recent nourishing rains. It's tiny, roughly the size of a pinky nail! Guess you don't have to be big to be a big deal, huh?

Come on the 8km guided hike this Sunday and maybe you might get a peek, just don’t touch it!

Open From 8am to 11.30 - we meet at the parking lot of Marks Park on Judith Road! R100 for adults, R50 under 18s and free for under 5’s.

Icing On The Cake 🧁 

Young Voices Take Centre Stage

As part of their third-year exam, AFDA students were required to write and compile a digital anthology of short stories, culminating in a public launch event.

AFDA partnered with Melville's Book Circle Capital to host this book launch last Friday. Thirteen students read their stories at the event and held a Q&A with the audience.

This is a brilliant initiative with positive effects for everyone involved. Young writers gain experience, hone their craft, and get a dry run of the "big time". (Remember us when you're famous!) For BCC, it's much-needed exposure for the literary world, especially African literature, reaching a new generation of readers and writers.

Fittingly, this book launch of collected stories and youthful points of view was called Kaleidoscope.

Thank you! 🙏

Another full Melville week in the can! Thank you for reading Melville Untold.

If you made it this far, you must’ve enjoyed it! Why don't you buy us a coffee? Payshap id: 0605293425 (Standardbank)or Snap Scan

You can also support Snaps On Seventh this week by buying our guided tour ticket for the Melville Art Mile. We'd be honoured to have some community members there!

Read something interesting? Forward this email to a friend who loves Melville. 🤍

Til next Wednesday, Melville.

Stay handy, stay happy, stay heroic!

Tōfā ✌️