Braamfontein’s most well known market has reinvented itself
When I heard that the Neighbourgoods Market, once the heartbeat of Braamfontein, in inner city Johannesburg, had relaunched as The Playground, it brought back many memories.
During school holidays, I would fill those potentially monotonous holiday hours by going to work with my mother in Braamfontein. I would wander the streets, watching people go about their lives and take in the energy of the place. I was afforded a front row seat to a diverse cultural mix not usually within my orbit at the time. I recall the liquorice aroma of fennel and the smoky dried ginger fragrances at the food and spice shops I passed, and the array of shiny wares offered. Those days were so different to my usual daily routine of school and life in a segregated society.
Fast-forward to 2012 when I discovered the Neighbourgoods Market in Braamfontein. It was like tapping straight back into that energy I had discovered as a kid. The Neighbourgoods Market, similar to the Old Biscuit Mill in Cape Town, was a melting pot of the (not so) new South Africa. At that time South African society felt as if it was going through an identity crisis, battling to define itself; fellow South Africans struggled to connect with each other on any meaningful level. Rainbow Nation hangover was out in full force and the headache was real.
But not at the Neighbourgoods Market. Each Saturday morning people would gather, connect, converse, eat and dance in that space. It was an inspiring place just to be present in, made that much better by bringing along friends, and making new ones, at the communal long table where the eating and drinking of market fare took place.
Covid-19 dealt the Neighbourgoods Market a death blow. But then Play Braamfontein founder Adam Levy, a co-founder of the original Neighbourgoods Market, applied his mind to the situation.
And so it was that I ventured forth to that familiar building at the corner of Juta and De Beer streets in Braamfontein, filled with anticipation of meeting the new incarnation of the market, now The Playground.
Retaining all the original qualities that made going to the market an event, rather than a mere shopping destination, I found The Playground bursting with a heightened level of creative energy. I took in that energy as I watched people dancing to the beat of some hypnotic tune flowing from the newly built stage. Attempting to capture the moment, they posed for selfies, proudly displaying outfits inspired by local people such as the mokorotlo straw hat of the Basotho.
The original Neighbourgoods Market has evolved, the key drivers being a combination of an intentional curation of the space matched by the strength of conviction underlying Levy’s drive to leave a legacy for the city.
“Life is about storytelling,” says Levy, “Give people a voice and a platform and let them tell their tale.”
And that is precisely what The Playground provides – an opportunity for the creatives of Joburg to weave their tales and share a little piece of themselves with you and I on a Saturday.
It could be at artisanal food and drink stalls, the emerging streetwear designers, the musicians and DJs, and the performance-based artists such as Tyler B Murphy, who created the protea mural that greets you as you enter the building. Or doodle artist BlckTagg, who created Braamfontein’s very own Cistern Chapel (check out the new bathrooms at the market, then look up).
Exciting new things take place at The Playground, from cheese and wine pairings to paint and sip guided art sessions. I spent a most enjoyable hour learning more about the offering from Journeys End Vineyards through their cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay varietals, kicking off the pairing with their bubbly, an MCC Brut Reserve. The paint and sip sessions help budding creatives to unlock their inner artist, while sipping on a glass of wine. A local artist guides you through a step-by-step approach to the session’s featured artwork, and laughter flows a-plenty.
The month of August has seen a celebration of women through the hosting of barre and yoga classes.
I witnessed a multicultural cross-section of South Africans at play, now better able to define what society means to them, and much better at connecting with each other. We have come a long way.
Levy sums it up well, “The Playground is a reminder to people that there are some amazing things to be done, there are some amazing people to be seen and there are some amazing experiences to be had.”
The Playground, at 73 Juta Street, Braamfontein, is open every Saturday from 10am to 6pm. It has live music performances, 30 food traders and a bar area with views of the Nelson Mandela Bridge and an expanded wrap-around balcony.