South Africa loses an 80-year-old landmark

The Zoo Lake Bowls Clubhouse in Johannesburg has been burnt to the ground.

The Zoo Lake Bowls Club shared on social media that the club has been left heartbroken after the fire devastated the beloved clubhouse, forcing the 80-year-old landmark to close.

“The building had recently undergone extensive renovations in preparation for a new chapter,” the club shared. 

Thankfully, no staff or guests were injured. However, the club acknowledged that its biggest concern going forward is the staff and community members whose livelihoods will be heavily impacted by the loss of the clubhouse. 

The bowls club described the venue as “not just a clubhouse, but a gathering place filled with history, connection, and spirit.”

The club is in the process of learning more about its future recovery in the coming days, and has promised to keep the public updated on its social media pages. 

The property was donated to the Johannesburg Municipality by its original owners in 1904. 

The Zoo Lake Bowls Club was founded in 1934, situated opposite the Johannesburg Zoo. 

By 1976, the “Zoo Lake Five” men’s lawn bowlers won all four titles when it hosted the World Bowls Tournament, putting the humble Johannesburg club on the global radar. 

After running for 80 years, the clubhouse controversially closed down in 2014 due to an eviction order delivered by the building’s owners: the Johannesburg Property Company. 

The club’s managers were not informed what the city planned to do with the building. 

The Property company said that the clubhouse’s lease had expired, which is why it was evicted. The company planned to expand the clubhouse to feature additional sports. 

A tender was awarded, but the clubhouse remained closed for almost four more years, reopening under new management in 2017.

Rumours that the Guptas were planning to buy the club and turn it into a helipad were quickly disregarded when the beloved watering hole opened its doors once more. 

New owner Divian Cooper said that the previous owners ran the establishment, paying R500 rent to the city a year, but that the club was rundown.

Just a hiccup

The business then survived through the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the hospitality industry being among the worst affected by the pandemic. 

Cooper, who took ownership of the club on its reopening, said in an interview with Talk 702 that the pandemic hit the clubhouse hard. 

He said the key to survival was adaptability and creativity during the lockdown. 

The clubhouse was opened for free Wi-Fi for remote workers, who could use the club’s vast outdoor spaces to escape their homes in a safe, COVID-friendly way.

While the club’s venue offering obviously suffered during the time, the club opened its green areas up as makeshift, outdoor conference areas for groups that needed a safe place to meet. 

The club relaxed its membership and attire rules for playing bowls, giving locals a much-needed social escape. 

Cooper took on the property, and he and his team were committed to improving the building and catering to the club’s loyal clients. 

Cooper said that the club installed new tiles the day before the fire broke out. Only the kitchen’s cold room and bathrooms are intact. 

The fire allegedly started in the kitchen of the clubhouse, and because the building is so old and mostly made of wood, the structure was quickly swallowed by the flames. 

“We have lost a very special place in many people’s hearts,” said Cooper in an SABC News interview. 

The improvements were going to cost the business over R1 million. Cooper said that the fire damage is “just a hiccup” in his plans for the clubhouse.

Newsday visited the ruins of the clubhouse, where workers are already on-site, clearing away rubble. While the outer walls still stand, the clubhouse has been almost completely hollowed out by the fire.

Loyal visitors to the Zoo Lake padel courts are still using the courts despite the loss of the building, and the bowling green remains undamaged.