After months of volunteer clean-ups and security upgrades, the heritage site welcomed visitors to the revived space.
- The Braamfontein Cemetery wants locals to use the premises for educational and research purposes.
- The cemetery has increased its safety measures around the area, as many visitors felt unsafe due to unsecured perimeters.
- Visitors can ask for a security escort when venturing deeper onto the property.
The Braamfontein cemetery is regarded as one of the most historically significant places in Johannesburg, but some residents do not feel comfortable visiting due to safety concerns and negative experiences.
The cemetery reopened its gates on February 22, 2026 with increased security for grieving families and rebranded as a public heritage site open for walking tours and educational visits.
“Just walk, enjoy the space, enjoy the beauty of the architecture of the cemetery”, said Antoinette Morgan, from Friends of Johannesburg Cemeteries (FOJC), a group under the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation (JHF).
“This cemetery has a lot of the old Rand pioneers – the early people who came to establish their life in Johannesburg”, said Morgan. The cemetery is home to many historical figures, such as “David Draper, who was the geologist who first had mass water production pumped up to the highfeld” and “of course Enoch Sontonga” she added.
The architecture at the cemetery beautifully captures its era. Nicola Noble from FOJC working with JHF, said: “The design of the crematorium almost hides its purpose, it is in the shape of – a neo- Romanesque chapel – it resembles a church.”
Safety concerns have plagued the site for years.
Morgan said, “A lot of the perimeter fencing was missing on both sides, so people would just walk across the cemetery at will.”
“With a lot of work with Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, we managed to get them to secure the perimeter fencing on both sides – it is still palisade but it is more secure”, she states that there are guards at each gate and roaming guards throughout the cemetery.
When people want to go deeper into the cemetery for research and feel uncomfortable, they can now ask a guard to guide them through.
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication.
FEATURED IMAGE: Graves taken at the Braamfontein Cemetery. Photo: Bonolo Mokonoto
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