Artful Soweto cooling towers

The Orlando Power Station cooling towers, located in Soweto (a prominent grouping of townships to Johannesburg's south), were beautifully painted in the run up to the 2010 Soccer World Cup which South Africa hosted. Funded by FNB, a major World Cup sponsor, the now decommissioned towers depict the cultural heritage of the area, and also provide tourists with a variety of thrills. Fearless visitors can now bungee jump, abseil, swing, or even base jump from the towers! What an interesting use for retired infrastructure! 

Murals at the Tannery, Pretoria

We visited the Tannery in Pretoria for lunch, and admired the murals painted around many of the walls. They depict most of the South African wildlife - often in life size.

Apparently the Tannery opened in 1904 as a leather tanning operation, but closed in 1986 because of complaints about the smell. It has since reopened as an industrial park, and also has a great restaurant nestled in one of the old buildings.

Here are a few of my favorite murals: