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By Bridget Hilton-Barber
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Commerce

How traders from Ethiopia have remade downtown Jozi

A meticulously researched book reveals Jeppe as a dense and vibrant Ethiopian-led trading ecosystem – a migrant-built port city hidden inside the Johannesburg CBD’s supposed decline.

The "Chaos Precinct"

Dr Tanya Zack’s groundbreaking book, The Chaos Precinct: Johannesburg as a Port City,is a deep dive into the Ethiopian world in downtown Jozi.

Concentrated around Lilian Ngoyi (formerly Bree) and Rahima Moosa (formerly Jeppe) streets is a thriving cross-border trading hub powered by Ethiopian migrant entrepreneurs. The area is sometimes referred to as Little Addis, although that makes this booming makeshift hub sound exotic, says Zack.

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