A Crocodile is a Dragon that can’t fly

A Crocodile is a Dragon That Can’t Fly examines the corporate and geopolitical evolution of Naspers through two adjacent sites in downtown Johannesburg.

On one side stands the Johannesburg Central Police Station, formerly known as John Vorster Square. While its facade is now visibly weathered, the building served historically as a central facility for the apartheid security branch, housing political detainees and interrogations. The site marks a decisive political turning point: its namesake, Prime Minister John Vorster, resigned in the late 1970s following the Information Scandal, leading to the rise of Minister of Defence P.W. Botha, widely referred to as “The Crocodile.” Parallel to this political leadership was Naspers, which operated for decades as a primary media institution of Afrikaner nationalism, consistently aligning public discourse with state policy.

Directly adjacent lies Johannesburg’s historic first Chinatown, established by Chinese communities that settled during the British colonial era around the mining industry. Resisting the spatial mandates of the 1950 Group Areas Act, the local community contested forced relocation, maintaining an enduring commercial and residential presence in the city center despite state restrictions.

Together, these neighbouring urban sites frame a significant institutional shift for Naspers. The media apparatus that once reinforced state warnings against the “red and yellow peril” transitioned in the post-apartheid era into a global investor, securing historic returns through an early investment in the Chinese technology company Tencent. Placing the former security headquarters alongside an enduring commercial enclave illustrates the mechanics of corporate adaptation: ideological opposition eventually yielding to pragmatic alignment, where international economic integration outlasts political separation.