Joe Blog

Built in 1969 by Ephraim Batana and Caroline Kinini Tshabalala, the iconic Eyethu Cinema lives on through the family-run Eyethu Heritage Hall – a cultural venue on the first floor of Eyethu Shopping Centre in Mofolo Central, Soweto. Nowadays, the Hall honours the cinema’s legacy with colourful pop-art- style exhibits that capture the spirit of its golden era. The founding couple’s granddaughter, Lerato Tshabalala-Mini will lead a tour of this space along Soweto’s “Art Mile”. Each stop highlights Soweto’s resilience and artistry, from Thesis Lifestyle, Robert Sobukwe’s home to the Eyethu Heritage Hall and Inside-Out JAZZ Lounge, ending at Mofolo Art Centre with food, crafts, and music. Choral and local brass band performance, poetry, jazz and market will activate the historic and cultural spaces along the route. This tour is all about you getting involved, as Tshabalala says: “We are not gonna just listen, we’re gonna participate”.