Melville was once an ancient coastline. It was underwater approximately 2.5 billion years ago. There is a rock on the Melville Koppies that has lines marking where the waves used to hit the beach. Welcome to Melville Untold.

In this week’s newsletter

• The Melville Art Mile: Unlocking the Neighbourhood

• The Water Saga: Hursthill’s Headache

• A Word from the Koppies Committee: We Need Your Help

— Aubrey Moloto, Kele Jackson

The Digest

The Melville Art Mile: Unlocking the Neighbourhood

It started as a chat with Nkululeko at Resource, became a whisper on the street, and this Thursday, 5 February, it becomes a roar. The Melville Art Mile is officially kicking off its 2026 season, and quite frankly, it’s the biggest collaborative effort this suburb has seen in years.

We aren’t just opening galleries; we are unlocking the entire neighbourhood this time. From the top of 4th Avenue down to 27 Boxes and across to 7th Street—splitting like the SA flag! One side stretches south to Die Pienk Kerk and the other north to Bamboo.

19 venues are opening their doors simultaneously for a night of live music, clay moulding, printmaking, sip and paint, night markets, exceptional art, and so much more!

But if you’re still wondering exactly how it works, why we’re doing it, or why you need a ticket (even a free one), here is the full inside story.

The Vision: A Legacy, Not Just a Party

The "Mile" isn’t a straight line; it’s a living, breathing network. The vision was never just to hang art; it was to use creativity as the engine for regeneration.

2026 marks a massive shift: The Melville Art Mile is now a registered Non-Profit Company (NPC). We asked one of the new Directors of the Association, Estelle Lötter, why this bit of paperwork is actually such an exciting part of the story.

“Having a registered structure implies that there are people prepared to take ownership of the initiative, and are prepared to be held to account,” she explained. “It creates security and longevity because collective decisions can be made as to how funds are used.”

For Estelle, stepping up as a Director wasn't about the title; it was about action. “I am a ‘participator’, and like to make a contribution where I can by being involved, instead of commenting from the sidelines. This is a great initiative, and if support for the first event is anything to go by, it is something that the people of Melville appreciate.”

The Experience: What to Expect

What makes this Thursday historic is the sheer scale of the buy-in. We have moved from isolated venues to a fully integrated 19-stop network. You don't have to follow a strict route, but the action is anchored by key hubs:

• The Vibe Chasers: Start at Die Pienk Kerk, where jazz pianist Luyanda Madope will set the tone, or head to Melville Mansions for a guided sonic art walk.

• The Hands-On Crew: Don’t just look, create. Throw some clay at the Melville Mudroom, fold intricate designs with 21 Folds Origami at Hotel Hope, or get inked (on paper!) at the printmaking workshops at DGI@27 Boxes and Stokvel Gallery.

• The Visual Spectacles: See Africa’s largest Titanic model at the Titanic Museum SA, a contemporary dance piece at Indoni Arts House, or explore the unique ceramics and African artefacts at The Trov.

The Voices of the Mile

This isn't just an event; it's a collaboration between business, art, and community.

A Participant: Nkululeko Mabe at Resource Gallery

Hosting a unique "Vinyl Listening and Painting" session, Nkululeko sums up the energy shift: "We are trying to break the idea that art is something you just stand and look at in silence. At Resource Gallery, it's about the collision of senses, spinning vinyls while people paint, engaging with the work rather than just observing it. When the whole of 7th Street is doing this together, the energy is contagious. You aren't just visiting a shop; you're entering a community flow."

A Sponsor: Cornel Ridgard and Willem Prinsloo, Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty

For the sponsors, backing the Melville Art Mile isn't just a branding exercise; it's personal. "To us, this is not just about being a business," says Cornel. "We have lived in Mellville for a few decades. We love the hood and will always try and bring a positive energy and do as much as we can to hold Melville up to the light. We don't want to try and create or control any narrative because Melville tells its own unique story."

How It Works: The Map & The Wristband

Okay, we've had a few questions about the mechanics. Let's clear it up so you can help us by advocating to your friends.

1. The Map is Your Bible: It lists every exhibition, every live performance, and the operating times. You get a physical map when you scan your ticket at an information marshal (look for the yellow Jozi My Jozi bibs).

2. The Wristband is Your Passport: "Why do I need a ticket if it's on the street?" Good question. Registering helps us fund security, the maps, and the coordination. But for you, the wristband is pure value. It unlocks Discounts at many shops, restaurants and bars all night and gives you access to specific interactive experiences throughout the mile.

3. The Ticket Options:

   • General Access (R0.00 - Mahala!): You still need to register online to get your map and wristband.

   • VIP Experience (R120 / R350): This is a game-changer. It includes everything above PLUS free unlimited rides on the Remax Rover TukTuks all night. No walking up the steep hills! The R350 tier adds a curated tour, complimentary drinks, and a surprise souvenir.

The Verdict

The weather looks good, the security is briefed, and the artists are ready. This Thursday is not just an event; it's a statement of intent from Melville for 2026.

If you haven't grabbed your ticket yet, do it now. Be a part of the movement that is putting our hood back on the map. One brushstroke, one jazz note, and one glass of wine at a time.

See the full list of participants here: https://web.facebook.com/share/p/1AVEtZUimM/

Community Champs

Thank you to the businesses that help make this event possible!

• Melville Security Initiative: Providing a robust safety and security plan with marshals and patrol vehicles.

• Café Picobella Trattoria & Xai-Xai: Powering the Mile! Providing food for the marshals and security staff.

• RE/MAX Masters: The RE/MAX Rovers! Tuk-tuk shuttles for those long stretches. Look out for their stand at 27 Boxes, where they'll be running a raffle.

• Lew Geffen Sotheby's International Realty: Wayfinders, mapping the route to make it easier for guests to find venues. They'll be popping up with a water station providing much-needed hydration for event staff near the church on 4th Avenue.

• Hellie's Handwork: A local artisan who has skillfully crafted special goodies as souvenirs for the private tour group.

The idea is for this event to continue for as long as possible. Personally, I hope for a minimum of 20 years, and eventually pass it down to a new generation. Melville is and has always been a creative's sanctuary; this is how we cultivate and celebrate that heritage. We're taking back our streets.

See you on the Mile.

If you enjoyed this week’s digest, consider buying us a coffee

What’s Happenin’ 🤔

here’s a special section dedicated to the Melville Art Mile’s events this week. So much to do, so little time! If you purchased a ticket, these ticket prices do not apply to you.

You can get up to a 100% discount on many events and activities at the Melville Art Mile with your wristband. 

Melville Weather For The Week ☔️

Thursday  

31° 🌡️ 16° | ☀️ | 🌧️ 1% | NNW 11 km/h 💨

Friday 

31° 🌡️ 18° | 🌤️ | 🌧️ 1% | W 7 km/h 💨

Saturday 

30° 🌡️ 17° | ☀️ |  🌧️ 1% | WNW 9 km/h 💨

Sunday

30° 🌡️ 18° | 🌤️ | 🌧️ 2% | NE 9 km/h 💨

Monday 

31° 🌡️ 17° | ☀️ |  🌧️ 2% | WNW 9 km/h 💨

Tuesday 

30° 🌡️ 13° | ☀️ |  🌧️ 2% | NNW 9 km/h 💨

Live & Music Events Lowdown 🎸

 Here’s where you can get your groove on!

06/02 | Friday | Ratz | Ndewa All Night | Free

07/02 | Saturday | 7.30 pm | chiesa di PAZZO LUPi | Live Performance: A Million O’Cock | R200

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

Business Bites 📂

The Studio Street Market Is Coming To Melville

Last week, we teased that big things were brewing on the 27 Boxes rooftop, and Anaz Mia has now officially lifted the lid. The Joburg Artist Market  is launching the Studio Street Market in 2026.

This isn't just a facelift; it’s a total reimagining of the artisanal experience. The bold new vision is about converting the rooftop containers into a retail precinct featuring active working studios for artists. Instead of just browsing finished works, visitors can step into an immersive environment watching art being created, join workshops, and engage directly with the makers.

Designed as a safe, child-friendly cultural precinct, the initiative promises weekly fine art exhibitions and live music, looking to cement 27 Boxes as the premier gathering place for Joburg’s curious and creative.

Civil Matters👷‍♀️

The Water Saga: Hursthill’s Headache

The water situation remains the primary frustration for residents this week. Here is the latest from Councillor Kyle Jacobs as of Tuesday, 4 February.

On Recovery We are seeing a slow improvement in the overall system recovery. However, higher-lying areas are still struggling to get consistent flow. The Councillor has urged residents who do have water to use it sparingly and—crucially—to refrain from filling backup storage tanks right now. This is essential to help stabilise the pressure for our neighbours up the hill.

The Hursthill 2 Mystery Later on Tuesday evening, a new issue emerged where areas that previously had supply suddenly lost it. Councillor Jacobs confirmed this is not related to the work at the Crosby pump station. The Hursthill supply zone is gravity-fed directly from the Commando meter.

With no formal communication coming from Johannesburg Water, the Councillor has escalated the matter directly to the City Manager and the Managing Director of Johannesburg Water to get answers. They will keep the community updated via the Melville Council Issues WhatsApp group as soon as official feedback lands. 

MRA Update: Tackling "Problem Properties" & A Call for Volunteers

The MRA held their first meeting of 2026 last night, and Chairman Darryl Gouws came bearing significant updates.

Vacancy Alert: Liquor Portfolio

A huge thank you to Tony, who is stepping down from the Liquor Portfolio after dedicated service. The MRA is now actively seeking a new committee member to take on this critical role. It involves ensuring the right balance between our thriving business community and residential quality of life. If you have a knack for diplomacy, please apply!

Targeting "Problem Properties"

Tomorrow (Thursday), MRA committee members are meeting with CRUM to specifically discuss the "Top 10 Problem Properties" in the suburb. These are the sites repeatedly flagged with little action. Let's hope this engagement marks a turning point for these eyesores.

The Tail End 🐾

The Corner Cafe Kitties

Ziggy’s Pet Pamporium has put out the bat-signal for four gorgeous kitties who are still looking for their forever homes. We’re calling them the Corner Cafe Kitties, a litter of 4-month-olds currently with a foster mom who has had an influx of kittens and desperately needs to get these little ones settled.

They are all dewormed, healthy, and full of personality. Here is the lineup:

• Princess Miri: The chill one. She is cuddly, laid back, and her favourite hobby is acting as a lap warmer.

• Princess Tiger Lilly: The socialite. She is outgoing, very affectionate, and likely to be the life of the party.

• Princess Tina: The petite independent. She likes doing her own thing but is secretly a lap cat when the mood strikes.

• Bigote (The Spaniard): Named after the Spanish word for "moustache," he is a bit shyer and needs a human he can trust. Note for the serious cat parents: Bigote is currently cryptorchid (we are waiting for one of his testicles to drop), so he will need an owner who can monitor that with a vet.

If you have space in your heart (and on your couch) for one of these four, please get in touch with Ziggy’s Pet Pamporium.

📍 11D 7th Street, Melville 📞 066 506 3760

You Are What You Eat (And So Is Your Iguana)

Last year, we touched on the "Foundational Pillar" of exotic pet care with Katja Wentzel from Extravagant Pets in Blairgowrie: the environment. But a heated room with a nice lamp is just a fancy prison cell if the inmate is starving, or worse, eating junk food.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: we prefer animals in the wild. But for the exotic pets living in our hood, we want them to live their best possible lives. According to Katja, once you have the heat right, the next massive failure point is nutrition.

Here is how to ensure your exotic friend isn't just surviving, but thriving.

1. The "Gut Loading" Rule 

This is the biggest secret to reptile health. Most people buy a box of crickets or mealworms and toss them straight into the terrarium. Katja warns that this is like feeding your pet cardboard. Insects from the store are often empty vessels. You need to feed the insects before you feed them to your pet. This is called "gut loading." 24 hours before feeding time, give your crickets or roaches high-quality vegetables (carrots, leafy greens, squash) or specialised "bug chow." When your lizard eats the cricket, they absorb all those digested vitamins.

2. The Calcium Compromise 

In the wild, reptiles get calcium from a varied diet and natural sunlight. In captivity, they almost always develop metabolic bone disease without help. You can’t just throw a vitamin tablet in. Food needs to be "dusted" with calcium and Vitamin D3 powder immediately before feeding. Katja notes that different species need different ratios. A chameleon needs different supplements to a bearded dragon. Getting this wrong can calcify their organs or leave them with soft bones.

3. Hydration isn't just a Bowl 

Finally, quality of life means proper hydration. Many exotics, like chameleons, literally do not recognise standing water in a bowl. They only drink moving water or dew. If your pet isn't drinking, they might need a dripping system or regular misting to simulate rainfall. Dehydration is a silent killer in exotics.

Owning an exotic pet is not a "set and forget" hobby. It requires mimicking a complex ecosystem in a glass box. If you are going to do it, do it right. For specific advice on what your specific breed needs to eat (and what their food needs to eat!), chat to Katja at Extravagant Pets.

📍 Blairgowrie Plaza (Shop LG1), Cnr Conrad & Susman Ave. 📞 066 506 3760

Koppies Check-In ⛰

A Word from the Committee: We Need Your Help

With the recent rains, our green spaces are lush, but the weeds are fighting back. The committee has sent out an urgent appeal to residents bordering the reserve:

Hi neighbours,

We know that you love living next to the Koppies, especially now when it’s looking so lush and beautiful. Those of you with dogs walk them as often as you can, though never as often as your dogs would like! We don’t often ask for your help, but we need it now!

All the rain that has fallen over the past few months has nurtured the plants, but sadly also the weeds! Our full-time conservation team is hard at work trying to keep up, but they can’t do it all. We are especially trying to get the weeds out before they seed, or before City Parks sends their grass cutters, who will then scatter the weed seeds far and wide. A forever problem.

Wendy Carstens has been working with volunteers to clear the weeds under the pylons at the Kafue entrance, but the border behind 7th Avenue is a big problem.

Please, will residents in this part of Melville try to clear their Koppie boundaries of weeds? This will also make your houses safer if fires sweep through the Koppies in winter. We ask you to please remove the weeds from the Koppies and not dump them back on the Koppies.

If you’re not sure what’s a weed and what isn’t, or you’d like to send your gardener to come and help, please contact Wendy on 079 532 0083.

On our own, the weeds will defeat us. Together, we can stop ourselves from becoming blackjack hosts every time we go for a walk!

The Weed Warriors Are Back!

The Koppies are also putting out a call for people to join the Melville Koppies weeding team. The Weed Warriors will be back in MK Central on Sunday 8 Feb if you’d like to join. Keep an eye on the Koppies official social media channels for more information.

Extra Sprinkles 🧁 

This week’s sweet spot comes from Lynn Grobbelaar-Dennington, owner of The Trov (one of the stops on this Thursday's Melville Art Mile). She shared a heartfelt message on Facebook that we feel the whole hood needs to read.

Can we love Melville back?

I understand I may be opening myself up to an online attack as I am fairly new to the area and have only recently opened a business here. Perhaps it's naivety on my part but Melville has always been a place with a pulse.

A little rough around the edges, yes — but layered, creative, opinionated, alive. It’s the kind of neighbourhood that has stories in its walls and memories in its pavements. A place people fall in love with, even when they complain about it.

And perhaps that’s where we are now — at a crossroads between love and fatigue.

It’s no secret that Melville has its challenges. Anyone who lives here knows them well. But somewhere along the way, many locals have grown tired. Disappointed. Disconnected. We speak fondly about the cafés we admire, the galleries we respect, the shops we’re glad exist — yet too often, we admire them from a distance.

What if support didn’t have to feel heavy?

Supporting local doesn’t always mean opening your wallet. Sometimes it’s as simple as opening your attention. Following a business online. Liking a post. Sharing a story. Tagging a place you enjoyed. Telling a friend, “There’s something special there — you should go.”

These small gestures may seem insignificant, but together they create visibility, energy, and belief. They remind business owners that their efforts are seen. And they remind the outside world that Melville is still a place worth visiting, exploring, and investing in.

Neighbourhoods don’t thrive on perfection — they thrive on participation.

When locals show up, even quietly, good businesses survive. When good businesses survive, more thoughtful, intentional businesses are drawn in. With them come more people, more care, more life. Streets feel fuller. Spaces feel safer. Momentum builds.

Melville doesn’t need to be what it once was. It needs to be what it can become.

Behind every local business is a person who chose this area on purpose. People who believed in its character, its history, its potential. Many are holding on with hope — not because it’s easy, but because they believe Melville is worth the effort.

Perhaps now is the moment for locals to believe again too. Not blindly. Not nostalgically. But actively. To visit instead of avoid. To share instead of scroll past. To speak kindly about the places that are trying.

Making Melville great again doesn’t start with big plans or outside saviours. It starts with us — the people who live here, walk these streets, and call this place home.

So maybe this is an invitation. A gentle movement. A collective decision to love Melville back.

Support local. Show up in small ways. Spread the word. Because when a community buys in, a neighbourhood begins to bloom again.

#MakeMelvilleGreatAgain #SupportLocalMelville #LoveWhereYouLive

Thank you! 🙏

Thank you for tuning into this week’s tales from our hood! Enjoyed the read? Consider giving us a tip – buy us a coffee? 

We hope you’re as excited about the Melville Art Mile as we are. You can also support us by getting a ticket to our guided tour of the event!

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’Til next Wednesday, Melville,

Stay caring, stay creative, and stay courageous!

Hüvast. ✌️