Falling down the rabbit hole: crime in Johannesburg’s inner city

Overview

Researching the details of the criminal economy is a difficult task but this research did so within the context of Yeoville, a residential suburb in the eastern part of Johannesburg’s inner city. In particular, the investigation focused on who was operating at the lower levels of the criminal economy and what activities were underway. Conclusions from the research are presented in this Research Round-up. These conclusions are based on nine months of detailed qualitative work undertaken by the author in the inner city. During this time, 60 in-depth interviews were undertaken with local residents, community leaders, and those residents involved in criminal activities.