Johannesburg's iconic Ponte Tower has been the scene-stealer in Hollywood blockbusters like Resident Evil and District 9. But it's also been dubbed Africa's first vertical slum.

PERCHED on a hill, the highest residential building in South Africa seems even taller than its 54 stories as it looms over one of the most feared neighbourhoods in Johannesburg.

The view of Johannesburg from the Ponte City skyscraper is breathtaking, but the tower is struggling to shrug off its reputation as a symbol of a dilapidated inner city. At 173 metres high, the ...