This story is part of the series SA Success Stories: Origin stories of successful brands and names.

Sheryl Ozinsky never thought she would run a market. In fact, she says she never even liked markets, until this one took over her life.

When she first moved to Oranjezicht in the early 2000s, she was a consultant working full-time in the tourism and environmental sector.

Growing one of Africa’s leading farmers’ markets at the V&A Waterfront - visited by around a million people a year - was not a prediction that the most ardent fortune teller would have made.

But a small desire to create a little bit of community in her new neighbourhood, following a break-in at her home, would put this unlikely series of events into motion.

“One Sunday, my partner and I were attacked in our home. Luckily, the guys ran away after we screamed, but it was a traumatic experience, and I started asking questions,” she tells News24.

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After canvassing the opinions of neighbours, the sentiment was clear: everyone wanted to live in a community where they could be safe, get to know their neighbours, and enjoy the outdoors.

“I helped to get people together and we started one of the first neighbourhood watches in Cape Town. What we achieved was to make our community safer and more walkable and more liveable.”

It was while patrolling for the neighbourhood watch that Sheryl noticed an abandoned and neglected bowling green in the area – that centuries prior had been part of the original Oranjezicht Farm – farmed for 200 years by the Van Breda family.

Bowling greens into ‘a bowl of greens’

Oranjezicht means ‘view of orange’, traditionally thought to be named after the view of the Oranje bastion at the Castle, or for a view of a nearby orange tree grove.

As part of their new-found vision for their community, an idea struck.

“What if we could put a small part of the farm back in Oranjezicht – so people could meet, get to know their neighbours, solve problems and connect?”

Initially, it was thought the entire project could run with volunteers. This worked at the start, but when the winter rains came, or a pump broke, the volunteers weren’t there.

“We employed farmers and their salaries were costing me every month,” Sheryl continues.

She added:

This wasn’t sustainable financially.

“So we started a tiny little market in the garden in Homestead Park next to the farm,” she said.

The idea was simple: grow the produce and sell it to support employment and cultivate a space for neighbours to enjoy.

“And that’s how this journey with the market started. Back then, 13 years ago, it was tiny - the whole market used to fit in the boot of my car,” she said.

“Slowly, we built this little market - we put up stretch tents. Then, a coffee guy joined us. Then, Woodstock Bakery started selling their bread there. We added cheese and some of the original traders are still at the market all these years later.”

The market at ‘Zille Villa’

Back then, in 2013, the city was supportive of the idea due to the market’s growing popularity.

But one day while putting up a stretch tent, it pulled down one of the historic walls of Homestead Park. The Heritage Department rightly had something to say about it, and so the little market at Homestead Park, which was now growing a following, was history.

Until a very well-known neighbour realised this and decided to step in and offer the market a temporary home at Leeuwenhof - the residence of then Premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille.

“As is the case with Helen Zille, she doesn’t miss a trick. Someone had tweeted her and suggested that she move the market to her garden - she phoned me that day and said I should move the market to Leeuwenhof that coming Saturday. ‘Let’s see if people come’, she told me.”

And so, the market at “Zille Villa” began in December 2014 and it became popular very quickly.

“It was just an absolute vibe with people coming to the premier’s residence for the first time. We got a lifeguard and the premier’s pool was open to visitors – and people could use the tennis court too.

“Then, we started running out of parking – so Helen starts directing the traffic. People are tooting and waving. It was hilarious.”

The market was now more popular than ever, but once again, once winter came, the market would have to move.

From ‘Zille Villa’ to the V&A Waterfront

Six months later, then CEO of the V&A Waterfront, David Green, came to the premier’s residence to see the market. It was here that Sheryl would try her luck and asked Green if he had a space at the iconic venue for a market.

Sheryl said:

The Waterfront agreed it would give the space ‘voetstoots’.

“We summoned up the courage and took the plunge. I didn’t know a thing back then. Gas, electricity, fires… compliance – we learned a lot fast.”

They were given six months to see if the market would survive. Sheryl remembers meeting a venture capitalist at the time who encouraged her to start running the market like a business for it to be viable and sustainable over time.

That was back in June 2015 and, after 10 years at Granger Bay, the Oranjezicht City Farm Market grew to supporting over 100 traders and almost 3 500 livelihoods.

A new venue, tourists and locals, and balancing the act

In December 2025, the market moved to a new R70m custom-built series of wooden barns in the V&A Waterfront. In peak season that December, there were queues all the way down Dock Road.

Sheryl says things have settled down and they must strike a balance between enjoying the support of tourists and visitors, whilst remaining a place for locals to shop for groceries.

“Visitors and tourists contribute greatly to the economy and help to create jobs. But it’s the locals who shop here for bread and blueberries who keep this market humming all year.

“This market is different to other markets. We offer the full spectrum of groceries to the customer – so we are actually an alternative food provider to the large supermarkets. This is an effort to repair the broken food system and offer healthy food to consumers – food full of flavour, where we know who has grown it and how.”

‘Go and visit your mother’

It’s a mission that the Oranjezicht Market will continue to strive toward. Reflecting on her own journey, Sheryl, the woman who never really liked markets, has learnt much from the past 13 years.

“A market is not only a place to shop for groceries and koeksisters. It’s essentially a place where people can be themselves. They can sit here for the whole day, and they don’t need to buy a thing. They can talk to other people and connect with themselves and one another.”

Left with the final word of advice for someone wanting to do something with purpose, she had this to add.

“Go and visit your mother. They have a lot of wisdom to offer up. And if you don’t know what you want to do, find a mentor that you respect and volunteer to work with them. You may just find what gets you up in the morning.”

This story is part of the series SA Success Stories: Origin stories of successful brands and names.