Neon Lights, Cold Castles, and Residual Smoke: A Love Letter to the South of Joburg (1982–1992)

If you grew up, worked, or drank in the South of Johannesburg between the early 1980s and the dawn of the 90s, you knew you belonged to a distinct tribe. It was a world bounded by the ridges, heavily infused with Portuguese culture, working-class pride, and a fiercely loyal social scene. Before the massive commercial shifts of the mid-90s rolled in, the weekend ritual across suburbs like Rosettenville, Forest Hill, Ridgeway, and Robertsham was nothing short of legendary.

Pour yourself a cold one, put some classic rock on the stereo, and let’s take a ten-year walk down memory lane.

The Weekend Spectacle: Rosie O’Grady’s at Gold Reef City

In the early-to-mid 80s, our weekends often kicked off with the vibrant, theatrical energy of Gold Reef City. The mining-town replica wasn’t just for family day trips; by night, its old-school saloon pubs were a massive drawcard for local crowds looking for real entertainment.

The crown jewel of them all was Rosie O’Grady’s. Stepping through those doors on a Friday or Saturday night felt like walking straight into a high-energy time capsule. The atmosphere was loud, festive, and unapologetically fun. The absolute highlight of the night was the famous Can-Can dancing. Dancers in flamboyant, ruffled skirts kicked to roaring live music, getting the entire crowd cheering, stomping, and singing along. It was the ultimate way to set the tone for a wild night out in the South. Barney's and the Consolidated were always a hit. 

The Anchor of Ridgeway: Tobies

As the years rolled on toward the late 80s and early 90s, our local universe revolved tightly around Tobies (or Toby’s, depending on who you ask) in Ridgeway. It was the quintessential neighborhood action bar—low lighting, thick cigarette smoke, the sharp clink of pool balls, and neon Amstel and Castle signs casting a warm glow over a crowd where everyone eventually knew your name.

But what truly gave Tobies its soul was the music. For so many of us, the definitive soundtrack of those years belonged to a local musician named Sean Liebenberg. Standing in the corner with his guitar and a microphone, Sean had the uncanny ability to capture the entire room. Whether he was playing classic rock anthems or acoustic covers, his voice was the background track to our youth, our heartbreaks, and our best weekend plans. You didn’t just go to Tobies for a drink; you went to see Sean play.

Down the Road: The Locomotive and The Smelly Rose

When the crowd at Tobies decided it was time to move on, the night was always young. Just down the road sat The Locomotive (fondly remembered as The Loco). True to its name, it had that rugged, rhythmic energy where the drinks flowed fast, the jukebox was always loud, and you were guaranteed to run into someone you went to high school with.

And then, of course, there was that brilliantly named dive bar that everyone frequented earlier in the decade, whether you lovingly called it The Smelly Rose or The Stinking Rose. It was raw, completely unpretentious, and had character in spades—the kind of place that didn't care about frills, just good company and ice-cold beer.

A Rite of Passage: Gino’s Pizza in Robertsham

You couldn't survive a decade of nights out in the South without proper fuel, and for that, all roads eventually led to Gino’s in Robertsham. Having opened in the late 70s, Gino's was already a culinary institution by the time 1982 rolled around.

Stepping into Gino’s after hours was a sensory overload: the rich smell of garlic, bubbling mozzarella, and wood-fired crusts. Sliding into a booth to share a massive, authentic pizza or a prego roll with friends was the ultimate midnight recovery ritual. It wasn't just a restaurant; it was the late-night social hub where the entire evening's stories were recapped, gossiped about, and laughed over until the early hours of the morning.

An Era Kept Alive in Memory

By 1992, the world was changing rapidly, and the tightly knit suburban pub culture of the South began to shift. The venues we frequented might have changed hands, closed down, or evolved, but the memories remain completely untouched by time.

To the bouncers who kept the peace, the bartenders who knew our orders, musicians like Sean who gave us a soundtrack, and the "Southern Boys and Girls" who made those ten years unforgettable—here’s to the best era of our lives.

"What was your regular order at Gino's, and do you remember Sean's favorite song to cover at Tobies? Mine was definitley "Kiss from a Rose - a Seal cover" I always believed he was singing it for me! 
 Drop your memories in the comments below!"  

St. Mary's Children's Home - Rosettenville, Johannesburg

When I was home a few weeks ago, I met up with a few friends from the South of Jo'burg, who went to the same Primary school as I did: - "Highveld Primary". 

One of my friends who became a teacher and eventually was appointed principal of a private school in Linmeyer, but has now retired was telling me how she spends her days.   She told me she volunteers at St. Mary's home.   We always referred to it as an orphanage, but it wasn't really a place for orphans but for kids who's parents either could not afford to keep them or neglected them. 

We all would have had a kid in our class who came from the home.  At school they were not treated any different from what we were.   In one of my posts I mentioned going to a disco on a Friday evening at the home.   My mom who was a book keeper looked after the books for the home.

On our way to meet up with the friends at "Gino's in Robertsham", there were a few kids begging at the traffic lights, my friend said that often these kids would land up at the home as well.  This made me happy to know that they had somewhere they could go to have a meal and a warm bed.

I vowed that when I got back I would give back to the community where I grew up in and will start with "St. Marys", I have often helped other people who have organized events in the South, however this one is close to my heart and wanted to share it with all of you.  If you perhaps feel the same then please see if there is something you can do to help them as well. 

https://stmaryschildrenshome.org.za/news 

Interesting facts about St. Mary's - In one of my posts I spoke about the Anglo Boer War and how the Johannesburg Concentration Camp was at the Turffontein Racecourse.   My friend said that after the end of the ABW they opened St. Mary's which is not far from the Turffontein Racecourse. 

"St Mary’s Children’s Home has been operating since 1902. Their services include residential care to 54 children designated to them through the Children’s Court on account of the Child Care Act, for reasons which include abuse (mental, physical, emotional and sexual abuse) and / or neglect, being orphaned or some have been affected by HIV/ AIDS virus. They come to them from surrounding informal settlements and many can be seen as the poorest of the poor."