Westcliff Stairs

Table of Contents

About Westcliff Stairs

Developed in cooperation with the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation

Address

Westcliff Ridge
15 December 2021

Inscription

WESTCLIFF STAIRS In 1902, the general plan for Westcliff provided public rights of way across its ridges. During the Great Depression of 1929-1933 the City Engineer, Mr EJ Waugh, in a public works programme for the relief of poor whites, trained unemployed men to build the stone stairways using the hard quartzite found on site. In recent times, the stairs have become popular with a diversity of users for outdoor exercise.

Photo courtesy: Kabelo Mokoena (Sunday Times)

Explore Joburg

A culmination of research gathered over many years, the Online Johannesburg Heritage Register is being launched on Nelson Mandela Day 18 July 2025.

Among the many heritage sites featured is Chancellor House, the downtown offices of Mandela and Tambo Attorneys in the 1950s. After having been vacant and shuttered for more than a decade, this iconic building is being revived and brought to life once again as offices for the Community Development Department, which oversees the City’s Arts, Culture & Heritage Services.