Joburg has a 37km network of trails winding through it – the city’s ‘green lung’ where people run, walk and ride. Jozi Trails helps keep them safe, maintained and connected, with plans to link even more green belts into the network!
Johannesburg, South Africa (23 September 2026) – Back in the ‘80s, Joburg had its ‘Spruit fairies’. They would watch over the Braam Spruit and maintain it, because they cared about it.
That sense of pride and care for the city’s green lung has existed for decades and is now reflected in the ongoing work of the local organisation, Jozi Trails.
Mandy Wiener’s latest episode of The Hope Dealers heads onto the trails to meet the Joburgers working to protect and improve one of the city’s largest interconnected outdoor trail systems.
Jozi Trails was formally established as a non-profit in 2019 by a group of people who love and use the Spruit and the parklands surrounding it.
The trail network stretches for roughly 37km through northern Johannesburg, running from around Albert’s Farm and Delta Park, through Emmarentia and north towards Fourways.
Walkers use it. Runners use it. Cyclists and mountain bikers use it. In some sections, horse riders do too. On any given weekend, thousands of Joburgers head towards these green spaces for some fresh air and a break from the city around them.
The Spruit itself is municipal property, but most of the care that goes into keeping sections of it usable, safer and better maintained comes from the people who use it and live alongside it.
Jozi Trails steps in to keep the Spruit moving. They’re restoring and upgrading existing trails; designing new trails; exploring tourism-related opportunities; and implementing the management plan across the whole Spruit. They’re also tackling the challenges of land erosion, inadequate drainage, unclear routing on trails and security.
A major focus has been the Delta Park section of the Spruit between Conrad Road in the north and Emmarentia in the south – one of Johannesburg’s biggest and busiest public open spaces.
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The organisation has a much bigger picture in mind for the city, too. It hopes to restore and upgrade existing routes, but also create new ones and eventually build connections that could link Soweto, Midrand and the Cradle of Humankind into the current network!
This vision and progress come from everyday Joburgers who choose to take responsibility for a public space they love. If something needs fixing, they’re the ones who roll up their sleeves and fix it!
The Hope Dealers has been uncovering stories just like this one across Joburg, shining a light on the people who look at a part of their city that needs attention and decide to get involved. They’re rebuilding schools, bringing previously abandoned spaces back to life, cleaning rivers, and building better trails!
You can follow the journey via Mandy’s social media. Check out her Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X for more information.
The series will also be available on Primedia+, EWN and across Primedia and Mandy’s social media platforms. The audio interviews will also be released as podcasts and broadcast on The Midday Report.
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