Chantal Nativel: Fighting River Pollution and Restoring Johannesburg’s Rivers
Chantal Nativel leads twice-monthly volunteer cleanups of the Braamfontein Spruit in Johannesburg’s northern suburbs. What began as dog walks with her German shepherd and a master’s thesis on water pollution and perimenopause grew into International Rivers Day cleanups that now draw a small, committed group pulling string, polystyrene, car parts, and even washing machines from the water.
Chantal describes working with local security companies, businesses like Rawson’s, and NGOs such as AMA (Action for Responsible Management of our Rivers), as well as inviting UJ academics to run water-quality testing and workshops for children. She talks candidly about where the rubbish comes from — much of it linked to a nearby informal settlement under the N1 bridge — and about the safety concerns and small kindnesses that come with the work.
She reflects on why some volunteers return, and others don’t, framing the work as a form of meaning-making rather than drudgery, and describes the two hours by the river as her own version of Japanese forest bathing. Her advice for others: you need almost no equipment, just a willingness to ask for help and show up. She closes by pointing listeners to AMA for other river cleanup opportunities.
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Behind the Conversation
by Babette Gallard
The River Runs Through Us
Chantal Nativel talks about the Braamfontein Spruit the way some people talk about a family member, and listening to her made me realise how much labour sits behind places that still feel natural. Clean water, clear pathways, birds returning, fewer plastic bags caught in reeds. None of that happens accidentally. Someone notices. Someone keeps coming back. Someone cares enough not to give up.
Our interview left me thinking about how easy it is to mourn the state of things while doing very little. Chantal’s response is the opposite: the decision to keep showing up for a place you love.
Watch Chantal and her volunteers at work:
The River Runs Through Us(opens in new tab)