One of Joburg's oldest parks gets a new lease on life and a food garden to match. Tucked along Harrow Road in Berea, Donald Mackay Park is one of Johannesburg's oldest public spaces, established in 1896. With its multi-level layout and stone walls, it was built to last. But in recent years it fell into dangerous disrepair - a magnet for illegal dumping, crime, and neglect sitting in the shadows of Ponte Tower in one of the inner city's most densely populated neighbourhoods.

Jozi My Jozi, acting as a super-connector, brought together the right partners to change that. Working with Fortress REIT, Food & Trees for Africa (FTA), Joburg City Parks, Giants of Africa, and Branch Environmental Design, the transformation was delivered in two phases:

• A thriving urban food gardenat the park's heart, equipped with irrigation, fencing, tools, and a shed producing fresh lettuce and spinach year-round and managed by local residents trained by FTA
• Double basketball courts, sponsored by Giants of Africa, now a daily hub for the area's youth
• Renovated playgrounds and soccer field, plus Morabaraba tables for adults
• Indigenous landscaping and drought-resistant planting for shade and greenery
• Solar lighting, perimeter fencing, and employed security guards.
• Vibrant muralsby local artist Persy Mamba, whose colourful works now wrap the park walls with Ponte as a dramatic backdrop

The park is proof that in Joburg's inner city, green spaces are not a luxury. They are essential infrastructure for community, health, and hope.