Staying in a Mafia Mansion? Stay at the Brown Sugar Backpackers Lodge Johannesburg, South Africa

How about staying in the mafia mansion of Brown Sugar Backpackers Lodge? I did for the last days of my South Africa trip. The beige mansion stands as an impressive edifice, and discovering its rich history only enhances its allure. Walk around this great mansion and allow your imagination to weave a tapestry of endless exciting stories.

In this mansion you feel history pulsating: the past of intrigues and unexpected twists, where every room once hide a secret.

I stayed for 4 nights at Brown Sugar Backpackers Lodge in Johannesburg, or Jozi as the locals like to call it. I really liked this mansion and the vibe of it! The staff was really helpfull and helped me whenever needed.

Let me show you around at Brown Sugar Backpackers Logde in this post!

Brown Sugar Backpackers Lodge in Johannesburg

It is a true Backpackers Lodge so you will meet a lot of other backpackers and you can share your travel experiences with eachother. You might get to travel with another traveler to a next destination, who knows?

I read this explanation about the big mansion.

Brown Sugar – Where does the name come from?

Interesting to read this story about the mafia mansion. This magnificent “castle like” mansion, built by the infamous Mafiosi Manne Da Rocha during the 70’s, will leave you absolutely breathless. And it did! You will experience a second to home feeling the moment you enter the house with a much laid back and relaxed atmosphere. When the Godfather moved out (or was gunned down as the story above tells) the backpackers moved in and they made this castle their home since 1998.

Rooms at Brown Sugar Packpackers Lodge

They offer that if you stay with them in different ways. They have a wide variety of accommodation options. For instance you have the dormitory, you have single cabin, double cabin, even triple or family options. I booked a single cabin with a shared bathroom. I got the Rhino cabin that is situated behind the big mansion.

It is a singleroom cabin in the garden of the logde. At that moment there were 5 of them and we had to share 2 toilets and 2 showers. The toilets and showers were clean and the water hot! I had my own small balcony and could sit there to write or do what ever you want.

If you don’t want to sit alone…well it is a hostel so space enough!

Swimmingpool / Camping – Brown Sugar Backpackers Lodge

Brown Sugar Backpackers Lodge also has a swimmingpool area. I went walking around the mansion to explore and found the area located a bit higher on the hill. I found the swimmingpool but it was not ready to swim in yet…because of the springtime.

There was a tent besides the pool and I had read that they also offer campingplaces, they are the cheapest ofcourse. Don’t see the option to camp anymore in 2025 but maybe when you ask?

There is a suitable choice in every price range at Brown Sugar Backpackers Logde 🙂

Breakfast and Dinner / Brown Sugar Backpackers Lodge

In the morning there was the breakfast room with an included breakfast. If it is not included in your booking, you pay 75ZAR / €4.

You could get some coffee, drinks and they served bread, eggs/jam. They serve some fresh fruits too every day. There was nobody to help you but as you see, you got a whole wall to read if there is no other backpacker to have breakfast with you.

Part of the wall in the breakfast room, great inspiring wall!

A couple of my evenings I had dinner at the mansion, served between 19h00 – 19h30. They offer a daily menu and you can write your name on the board in the kitchen. I really liked it every evening. Most of the times we were eating with a couple of backpackers in the first room, near the computers.

The offer vegetarion / vegan or pescatarion options but you need to book those in advance.

Facilities of Brown Sugar Backpackers

There were a lot of rooms in this logde for the visitors. There was a great bar area with a television and much room to chill out, a couch was in front of the television and there were also tables with several chairs. Also a pooltable 🙂

They had a big terrace at the bar, looking out over the city. There were a couple of big tables with chairs so you could sit outside with a big group. Dinner is great to have here with the other travelers that stay here.

At the time I was there the Jacaranda tree was full blooming.
That gave the city a purple haze….it looked great!

WiFi at Brown Sugar Backpackers Logde

Oh yeah…Brown Sugar Backpackers Lodge offers free WiFi and if you need to use a computer…they have two laptops standing there to be used. They have Fiber internet and almost in all the rooms all over the place there is a connection. When I visited in my cabin I lost the connnection but that might have changed by now.

* No Free Pick Up anymore

When I came from Port Elizabeth they picked me up from the airport (ORTIA), it was a free pick up! Brown Sugar Backpackers Lodge offered a taxi service from and to the town centre too. Since COVID they don’t have a car or drivers anymore so they don’t offer the free pickup anymore. Covid ruined a lot right?

Download UBER or the BOLT app to arrange your own transfer from the airport or into town.

What to do around the Logde

There is a big shoppingmall in the area, it was about 15-20 minutes walking down the street. Eating, drinking and everything you want to buy! First you’ll come at China Town and if you walk on you can go to East Gate Shopping mall.

See the exact location of the Brown Sugar Backpackers Logde

Luggage Storage at the Logde

There is a free luggage storage for 10 days at the logde. When you want to leave it longer you will have to pay a small fee of 10ZR a day, that is around €0,50. They will only accept that for up to 60 days. That must be long enough right? If you don’t pay or pick it up by then your luggage will be disposed.

Prices at Brown Sugar Backpackers Logde

See these prices for 2025

Dormitory options come from €19 in female or male room – with breakfast
Single cabin with shared bathroom – €30 with breakfast
Single cabin with bathroom – €33 with breakfast
Twin Private room with bathroom – €44 with breakfast
Triple bedroom with shared bathroom – €62 with breakfast
4 bed family room with shared bathroom – €83 with breakfast

Check for all the prices and rooms on their website or Hostelworld.

What to do during your days in Johannesburg?

Book a cycle trip in Soweto

Explore the Soweto neighbourhood where the political icons who fought apartheid lived. Think e.g. of Mandela who had his first home on Vilakazi Street.

Do a Bungeejump from the Soweto Towers

Or are you that daredevil who will do a bungee jump from those iconic Soweto Towers? You then jump down between the two towers at a height of no less than 100 meters! I didn’t do it…I only saw the towers at a distance 🙂

Book the Pretoria Tour fromJohannesburg

Spend a day out of Johannesburg with the Pretoria tour. Visit the voortrekkersmonument, the Paul Kruger house and see the Jacaranda city of Pretoria. I thought it was an interesting day and I had some nice company to hang out with that day.

See the impressively large Mandela statue towering above Pretoria at the Union Buildings.

And do you also book the Hop on Hop off bus?

I think it’s a really nice way to explore a big city on your first or second day. You get a good idea of ​​the size and structure of Johannesburg. It always makes it clear to me how I get from one neighborhood to another if I go for a walk the next few days.

Read all about my day in the Hop on Hop off Johannesburg

What to do after Johannesburg?

When I traveled on after Johannesburg I booked a 3 day safari to Kruger NP

It was the first time I really went on safari and I absolutely loved it. We saw an incredible amount in those days and stayed in different places during the safari. Read all about my safari in South Africa.

Read more of my South Africa Adventures:

What about Spotting Whales in Hermanus Bay?

Visiting Robben Island can not miss when going to Cape Town

Or going to see those cute Pinquins in Betty’s Bay

Or what about a Township Tour – Knysna

Hiking in Featherbed Nature Reserve at the Knysna Heads – South Africa