Hillbrow Tower

Telkom Joburg Tower
Hillbrow Tower
Hillbrow Tower (right) with the Ponte Apartment building and the skyline of Hillbrow.
Record height
Tallest in Africa from 1971 to 2021[I]
Surpassed by	Iconic Tower
General information
Status	Completed
Type	Radio tower
Location	Hillbrow, Johannesburg,  South Africa
Coordinates	26°11′13″S 28°2′57″E / 26.18694°S 28.04917°E / -26.18694; 28.04917
Construction started	1968[1]
Completed	1971[1]
Opening	1971; 53 years ago (1971)[1]
Cost	$10,000,000
Owner	Telkom (South Africa)[2]
Height
Antenna spire	269 m (883 ft)
Top floor	204 m (669 ft)
Technical details
Lifts/elevators	3
References
[1][2][3][4]

The Hillbrow Tower (formerly JG Strijdom Tower) is a tall tower located in the suburb of Hillbrow in Johannesburg, South Africa. At 269 m (883 ft), it was the tallest structure and tower in Africa for 50 years, until it was surpassed in 2021 by the 393.8 m (1,292 ft) Iconic Tower in Egypt's New Administrative Capital. For seven years it was also the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere until 1978, when surpassed by the 270 m Mount Isa Chimney in Queensland, Australia. It remains the tallest telecommunications tower in Africa, and the tallest structure in sub-Saharan Africa. Construction of the tower began in June 1968 and was completed three years later, in April 1971. Construction cost 2 million rand^[1] (at the time, US$2.8 million). The tower was initially known as the JG Strijdom Tower, after JG (Hans) Strijdom, South African Prime Minister from 1954 to 1958. On 31 May 2005 it was renamed the Telkom Joburg Tower.^[3]

The tower was constructed for South African Posts & Telecommunications, which later became Telkom,^[4] South Africa's government-run and largest telecommunications company. As the general height of buildings rose in the central business district, it became necessary that the height of the new telecommunications tower stayed above the height of the buildings surrounding it.^[1][2]