South Africa graffiti: Tourists hunt the ‘Big Five’ on urban safari

7 minutes ago By Hamilton Wende, Johannesburg Hamilton Wende “Today we’re going to look for the ‘Big Five!’” South African guide Eelco Meyjes announces from the front of his safari vehicle – a strange thing to hear on the streets of suburban Johannesburg. But he is not talking about game, but the wildlife depicted in the city’s graffiti. Infamous for its crime levels and the high walls topped with electric fences, there are many other sides to South Africa’s beating commercial heart – including what is painted on the surfaces of those walls. Mr Meyjes, a local entrepreneur, studied art at the city’s University of the Witwatersrand, and this led him to an appreciation of its dramatic street creations. His first tours began on two wheels. These continue but he expanded into an urban safari in 2021. As we set off in our green safari vehicle from a local restaurant, he warns us jovially: “You’ll have to look carefully to find the animals painted on the walls. “It’s more difficult to do inner city tours than those in the bush. There’s traffic everywhere. And, of course, there are the potholes to avoid!” Our first stop reveals a wild-looking pink buffalo...