Benoni, South Africa

Forget the idyllic movie depictions - Benoni, a town of 158,777 people, is a gritty East Rand outpost on the outskirts of Johannesburg. The once-thriving Jewish community has dwindled, with the local synagogue closing after 90 years of service. Commuters face a persistent headache, as Metrorail's commuter rail lines have been suspended since 2020 due to vandalism.

While Benoni offers a mix of suburban areas and semi-rural acreage, the reality is a town on the urban fringe, where the city dissolves into smallholdings and farmland. This is hardly the glamorous backdrop for a MTV-inspired movie - Benoni is a hard-nosed, pragmatic place, best suited for those seeking an affordable, functional base on the East Rand, rather than an aspirational lifestyle.