Some legacies are planned. Others arrive unexpectedly, born from a moment that shakes your world.
For Sheryl Ozinsky, the legacy of the Oranjezicht City Farm Market began the day she was attacked in her own home. A terrifying experience that could have pushed her into fear and isolation instead sparked a determination to rebuild the sense of safety and connectedness her community had lost.
From Home Attack to Neighbourhood Watch
After the attack, Sheryl realised something vital. Safety is not a given. It is something a community must protect and nurture together. If people do not feel safe, they live behind closed doors. And when they live behind closed doors, true community disappears.
So she helped form a neighbourhood watch. Not only to deter crime, but to restore trust, visibility and togetherness among neighbours. It was the first courageous step toward reclaiming public life in Oranjezicht.
From an Abandoned Bowling Green to a Living Urban Farm
Once safety took root, the next question arose. What kind of neighbourhood did they actually want to build?
There was an old, forgotten bowling green. Empty. Overgrown. Neglected. Most people walked past it without a second thought. Sheryl saw potential. A place where life could return, and where people could gather with purpose.
With a small group of committed residents, the Oranjezicht City Farm began. Soil was revived. Vegetables were planted. People reconnected with land, food and each other. A simple space became a catalyst for belonging.
From a Small Farm Stall to Cape Town’s Weekend Ritual
The produce grown on the urban farm needed a place to reach the people. What started as a humble stall soon evolved into the Oranjezicht City Farm Market. It quickly became one of Cape Town’s most loved weekend traditions.
Small-scale farmers, bakers, artisans and local producers built their livelihoods there. Families, visitors, food lovers and locals gathered each week to enjoy the atmosphere that only Cape Town can create: sea air, good food and real community.
A New Chapter: The Market Moves Across the Road
Every legacy grows. And the market is now entering a new era with its move across the road to a newly designed site. This relocation is not a shift of distance, but a shift of possibility. More space for producers. More breathing room for visitors. More opportunities to expand the community spirit, the market is known for.
We are proud that The Pole Yard has supported this journey through the years with timber, latte panels and structures that helped shape the market’s spaces as they evolved.
Why This Story Matters
Real legacies are built from ordinary people choosing to create something extraordinary.
One home attack led to a neighbourhood watch.
One neglected patch of land became a thriving urban farm.
One small market stall turned into a vibrant community hub.
And now that the hub continues to grow, strengthening the city that surrounds it.
Sheryl’s story reminds us that legacy is not something you leave behind one day.
It is something you build moment by moment, choice by choice, with courage and community at the centre.
Watch our video with Deon and Sheryl to hear the story in her own words. It is a journey worth sharing, and a legacy worth celebrating.