Customers have been coming back for 50 years. Thokozane Nxumalo boasts he can pour their drinks blind-folded, but Nxumalo doesn't touch the stuff. Welcome to The Guildhall, Jo'burg's oldest drinking establishment.
South African Cheers

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Decades of regulars put a sheen on the wood and brass bar where Thokozane Nxumalo serves clients of The Guildhall, Johannesburg's oldest bar. Photo by Darren Taylor

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Owner Fernando Coimbra is a South African of Portuguese descent who is proud to pour a pint in the 127-year-old venue that now serves women. Photo by Darren Taylor

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One customer says the bar where gold miners once brawled is now a “place of peace.” Photo by Darren Taylor

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Coimbra turned a second-floor venue into a haven for the food, sports and patriotism of his Portuguese heritage. Photo by Darren Taylor