3,000 Students Transform Johannesburg Streets

Melusi Khumalo discovered his life's purpose during a stadium cleanup, and now he's leading over 3,000 students in transforming Johannesburg one street at a time.

The 26-year-old public policy student was elected to the University of Johannesburg's student council in 2024. When he mobilized classmates for an Ellis Park Stadium cleanup ahead of a major rugby match, he stumbled upon Jozi My Jozi, a city revitalization movement.

The discovery felt like fate. While researching the organization online, Khumalo spotted his own brother's signature on a pledge wall. His brother Cebolenkosi, a former student president who works at Investec, had been quietly involved in the movement for years.

Inspired by the coincidence, Khumalo approached Jozi My Jozi's CEO with a bold idea: create a formal student chapter that could mobilize thousands of young people. In March 2025, students from three universities signed up at the Human Rights Festival at Constitutional Hill.

The response exceeded everyone's expectations. More than 3,000 students from UJ alone have participated in citywide cleanups, Mandela Day activities, and even the city's first homeless count. Students from Wits University and the Maharishi Invincibility Institute joined the effort.

The Ripple Effect

The student movement is now tackling its most ambitious project yet. Khumalo is leading an initiative to transform Annet Road, the corridor connecting UJ and Wits, into what he calls the "Vilakazi Street of Academics."

Students had long complained about crime and neglect along this vital route. The vision is to create a safe, clean, vibrant space that instills civic pride and connects universities with surrounding communities.

For Khumalo, who holds a BA in public management and is pursuing honors in public policy, this work feels natural. He represents youth perspectives at national dialogues and dreams of shaping government policy one day.

"Young people are the city's new gold and we need to get them involved," he says. His message resonates at a time when youth disillusionment with government runs high and young voter registration remains low.

The work continues to expand organically. Every cleanup creates visible change, inspiring more students to join and more communities to take notice.

Khumalo's optimism remains infectious: together, students are building a brighter future for Johannesburg, one street at a time.