Oranjezicht City Farm: promoted to the premier league

You can barely swing a carrot these days without hitting a market, be it lifestyle or produce. Don’t get us wrong, we’re not complaining. Markets are a wonderful, human fight against everything that is chemically treated and disengaged, but most of us only get two days of total freedom a week. How do you choose which market is worth your weekend? We’re putting our eggs in the Oranjezicht City Farm basket, on this one.

Reason #1 to visit OZCF: It’s a victory for the little guys

You may have visited this one before on Sidmouth Avenue, beside the reinvigorated community garden. There too, it was lovely. And then the compost really hit the fan.

While most of us were casually sipping our flat whites, choosing between courgettes or brinjal for dinner, the OZCF was at loggerheads with city and provincial governments. The market was on a heritage site and no amount of jumping through hoops and filling out of applications appeared to be appeasing Heritage Western Cape. OZCF Market Day was to be shut down, left in a bundle of red tape for the foreseable future. But then Twitter happened. An idea, addressed to the right person at the right time, gave Market Day a new home at the 11th hour. A villa, to be exact, the #ZilleVilla.

So, that’s major victory points and the first reason why you should support them. With all the political drama that almost forced it to be shut down, having Helen Zille’s community interests and influence save the day is a bit of an ironic victory and who doesn’t love to bask in the glow of irony every now and then?

Reason #2 to visit OZCF: Dip your digits in the premier’s pool

Most markets, no matter how glorious and artsy the venue, leave you jostling for a free place to perch, somewhere to find your spot of calm amid the colourful chaos. But now that the Oranjezicht City Farm has been upgraded to greener pastures (no, literally), you suddenly find yourself with all the space in the world. You would be doing yourself an injustice by not going.

There are options. Sample some ready-made eats and park off near the music, at wooden tables and benches amid golden pineapples and nitrogen ice cream. Or take a gander through the produce-laden tables beneath the white tent, fill a basket with olives, bread and biltong and make yourself at home in a shady oasis somewhere along the perfectly manicured lawns and trimmed hedges to the left. Near the tennis court. Yes, there. And when you’re done with all the eating, you can take a splash in the sparkling waters of the Premier’s pool. We’re not even kidding.

With Leeuwenhof estate open to the city on OZCF Market Day, you can support the little guy while having the lion’s share of villa living.

Visit the Oranjezicht City Farm for a truly exceptional human connection in a space that resonates with heart and generosity of spirit. You may even bump into the Western Cape Premier herself.

Head on over to the Oranjezicht City Farm Facebook Page to be in the know about future events.

Market Day is every Saturday, come rain or shine, from 9am – 2pm.