When South Africans talk about DIY inspiration, one name keeps popping up… and this week, he joins me on “Good Things with Brent Lindeque” to share his journey.
Johannesburg, South Africa (10 December 2025) – Some people renovate houses. Steve Baron somehow renovates your day. His YouTube channel, Flipping Johannesburg, has become one of my absolute favourites, and this week on Good Things with Brent Lindeque, I get to chat to the man behind the magic.
Steve didn’t start out with a hammer in one hand and a camera in the other. In fact, in 2022 he was a chartered accountant with a stable career and a very different life path. But something shifted. He wanted more creativity, more meaning, more heart in his everyday.
So he made a bold decision: he walked away and started flipping houses.
And the journey that followed has been remarkable.
“During lockdown I decided to open up to my more creative side. I’ve always had a keen interest in photography and filming so I already had quite a collection of before-and-after pictures. I decided to put together a proper portfolio of all my projects and make short videos offering advice and tips,” he shared with us.
Those early videos, shot during some of the strangest months of our lives, sparked an idea that has now grown into one of South Africa’s most bingeable renovation channels. We actually featured Steve on Good Things Guy back in 2022 when he launched his very first video. And again when one of his flips was nearing a million views. Today, that same video has passed 3 million views, and his channel has become a local favourite for anyone who loves a bit of DIY, a bit of chaos, a bit of creativity and a whole lot of humour.
It’s like Grand Designs decided to pop in for a visit to Joburg’s suburbs. And never left.
In our conversation, Steve and I dive into where it all began, what inspires him, and why project management in Johannesburg should probably be considered an extreme sport. We chat about the alphabetical “names” he gives his flips, how he approaches renovations and what he’s learnt from taking on projects that sometimes throw curveballs the size of broken geysers. We also speak about something he never expected when he uploaded that first video: becoming a little bit recognisable. There’s something genuinely heartwarming about hearing him describe being noticed in public, usually by someone who wants to say thank you for helping them make their own home look better, or simply for brightening their day.
Oh, and he gives us some brilliant renovation tips too.
And then, completely unrelated to renovations, we learn the difference between “clapping” and “clocking it” according to Gen Z.
But beyond the tips, the laughs and the million-view videos, Steve’s story is really about creativity, courage and starting again. What he’s built goes far beyond beautiful homes. He’s built a community. A space where ordinary South Africans can learn, feel inspired and find the confidence to try something new, even if it’s just painting a room or fixing a stubborn cupboard door.
Watch the episode below:
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