Accommodation in inner-city Johannesburg is dominated by subdivision, subletting and subdivision again, into rooms and spaces which are further shared. If one looks at the adverts posted on the Shoprite wall off the main street in Yeoville, one can see, for example, offers of a balcony, a curtained-off space in a dining room or even a bed to share (see figure 18.1).

I was intrigued by how life could be in these rooms and spaces, and decided to experience it myself. I have since analysed the experience of living in a variety of such spaces for my master's thesis, but this chapter focuses on the four months I stayed at 404 Hillview Mansions in Yeoville. It provides a descriptive account of the experience and the people I got to know well, focusing on the lived experiences in rooms and spaces in Johannesburg, about which comparatively little has been written.

The chapter is divided into three main sections: finding the room and moving in, the people I shared with and the physical spaces, and a typical day in the life of the flat.

Finding the room and moving in

Located just off Rockey-Raleigh Street and opposite the market is the Shoprite community board or the ‘Shoprite wall’. It could be said to be at the heart of Yeoville. At month end, notices tacked onto the wall with Chappies bubble gum stretch along almost the full block.

Most of these notices advertise accommodation: rooms or spaces for rent individually or to share. The notes are mostly handwritten and basic, identifying the building name and nearest cross streets, and providing a telephone number (see figure 18.1). They are just one part of the accommodation economy operating at the wall. At month end, lessors seeking lessees wait around the wall and approach potential lessees directly. Bakkie drivers park alongside, servicing those who have found a place and wish to utilise removal services. Taxis park opposite, servicing accommodation-seekers wishing to view the accommodation once they have made contact with the lessor. Both taxi and bakkie services are governed by informal organisations that advise on prices for the area and take membership fees.