One of Joburg’s oldest parks has received 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 multilevel 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 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 delivered:

A thriving urban food garden at 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, which are 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 murals by local artist Persy Mamba, whose colourful works now wrap the park walls with Ponte as a dramatic backdrop

Green spaces are not a luxury; they are essential infrastructure for community, health and hope.