Behind Johannesburg: Plants and Possible Futures in an Industrialized Hinterland

This chapter explores two ubiquitous edible plants of Johannesburg’s hinterland by way of their cultivation: maize (a staple crop) and blackjack (an invasive species). Traversing wholescale maize production in the most industrialized hinterland in Africa, to the informal farming initiatives from inner city Johannesburg to its surrounds, how crops are grown and invasives are treated in different spaces point to toxic apartheid and colonial legacies. These include the stigmas attached to different categories of plants and how marginalized communities are forced to grow their own food and forage. Thinking with Johannesburg’s hinterland, and its ancient role of providing food for the city, maize and blackjack provide a way into considering possible food futures in the face of shortages and the climate crisis.