Modderfontein New City: The Failed 'New York' of South Africa

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[qzwxas]

I live in South Africa and have never heard about this🤦‍♂️

[waltherziemerink]

As a South-African, I can Guarantee you that nobody thought this to be 1) NY of Sa and 2) that this project will actually be completed. The ANC smokes it's own dung and gets high on the fumes incompetence.

[AnotherPointOfView]

According to various online information, including Wikipedia, Johannesburg is the largest city in S. Africa, but NOT a capital city. The country's administrative capital is Pretoria (Tshwane), legislative capital is Cape Town and judicial capital is Bloemfontein (Mangaung).

[figure_]

Yes! Give us Songdo South Korea!! Inform me Fact Boi.

[phomo]

We already have Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban - we should be improving these cities instead of trying to grow poor old modderfontein into a mega city 😂🤣

[ignitionfrn]

2:55 - Chapter 1 - The vision
5:10 - Mid roll ads
6:20 - Chapter 2 - The complications
10:30 - Chapter 3 - The end

[malcolmgower]

Im from South Africa and I grew up in Modderfontien. I went to school there, played in the streams and in the pine forests around our house. We lived in number 11 Antwerp street. These people demolished my childhood home to resurect an unfinished horrid building in its place. Just as a side note. That house I grew up in, in from 1993 to 2009 was just on 100 years old.

[nqobilemsomi]

So happy to see you cover South African projects. I feel like we dodged a huge bullet and as many problems as my country has. This was one we did not need

[nelmieskinner]

Thanks Fact Boi, I love it when you do a video on South Africa. I grew up about 10 kilometers from Modderfontein and I can tell you that area will never be able to be developed into anything even close to resembling those designs. It’s an industrial area where explosions can still be heard on the odd occasion.

[WetenskapSuiderland]

Thanks for the video on South Africa. I know Modderfontein well, have spent some time there.The area that the city was to be be built on was originally owned by AECI, a chemicals company that grew big by becoming South Africa's largest producer of explosives used in mining, amongst other things, and the Modderfontain lands was where their factory was stationed, far enough away from anything else so that if it blew up the damage would be limited, yet close enough to make delivery of explosives to the mines across the greater Witwatersrand area fairly easy.

The 'reserve' was not really much, and as far as I remember there was a really big issue with the water on the Modderfontein lands due to poisonous run off from the chemical factory.

Beautiful patch of land though.

Again, thanks for the video.

[hueykratos]

As a South African i didnt even know this happened😂😂😂

[racing]

Can you cover the National Mall in Washington DC where all the museums are located? It’s an immense operation maintaining all the artifacts

Edit: Or maybe that’s a better geographics but either way

[mosesnaiker]

Hey Simon, Massive fan here . I purchased a home in Modderfontein and its vastly different to the pictures used . The visuals dont do it any justice you should visit or google more recent pics . Conveniently located next to one of the busiest commerce strips in South Africa (Sandton) but quiet enough so that you aren't in constant traffic .

[bravebeauty]

Modderfontein is also a heritage site due to its contribution to the history of the mining industry. This is an additional reason for the project rejection. I grew up there during the 80's. Most of the surrounding area outside of the neighbourhood (not village) was farmland for hundreds of kms.

[MJ-pspd]

I'm glad this failed. I go hiking in the Modderfontein Reserve all the time. Much better than an urban jungle!

[wouterstassen]

One word, corruption, makes all projects fail in SA.

[RandB_Aquatics]

The area in question is actually developing, just that its going at a slow pace. I go through the area a lot of times a month and there has been a lot of new housing complexes, warehouses and other facilities. Roads being constructed there gives you all the hints u may ask for. Each street end is pointing to something coming up in the near future. ThumPS UP SA

[ferdi]

Thank goodness we who live near Modderfontein can continue to enjoy the natural beauty of the reserve.
That new city could never have happened. The 'locals' knew that from the start...

[Mmeme]

I'm a SAn living and working in sandton Central and I have the occasional business meetings in modderfontein.
In my opinion, building a 'city' where the entry level rent is R8k a month is not feasible for rapid growth. If the average income range is R8k - R22k, 1. lower earners cannot afford to live there
2. higher earners want to buy/own property. I've seen these mega developments go up with "rentals only" signs posted.
3. most SAns prefer free standing homes over the loft living concept that is sold here.

[williamashurst]

You should do an episode on Kusile and Medupi Power Stations, more on how billions are mismanaged, stolen, and just dissapeard.