Johannesburg's colonial Rand Club transformed

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - With its imposing columned facade, hunting trophies and oil portraits, the Rand Club in Johannesburg's city center is a relic of South Africa's colonial past.

Founded in 1887 by British mining magnate Cecil Rhodes, it was the favored venue for white businessmen and freewheeling gold prospectors to strike deals and socialize in the hushed library or at the 31-meter-long teak bar, reputedly the longest in Africa.

But Alicia Thompson, a black woman born in Johannesburg, is seeking to reposition the club, which has struggled to stay open in recent years, by attracting the city's young while preserving its heritage.