Hillbrow Tower, Telecommunications tower in Hillbrow district, South Africa.
Hillbrow Tower is a telecommunications structure in Johannesburg that rises 270 meters (885 feet) above the city with a cylindrical concrete form. The upper floors once held observation decks and a rotating restaurant that served visitors for over a decade.
Construction began in 1968 and the structure was completed in 1971, making it the tallest structure in Africa at that time. It held this distinction until 2013, when a taller building was constructed elsewhere on the continent.
The tower was long known by the name of an apartheid-era prime minister, but in 2005 it was renamed Telkom Johannesburg Tower. This change marks the city's shift toward a new chapter in its history.
The tower is not currently open to the public, as the observation areas and restaurant have closed. Visitors can view and photograph the structure from the streets below to see its distinctive shape against the Johannesburg skyline.
During the 2010 football World Cup, a massive soccer ball weighing around 35 tons was attached to the top of the structure. This installation transformed it into a visible symbol of the tournament across the city.
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