--- title: "Donald Mackay Park in Berea brings a little ‘joy’ to Joburg’s inner city" description: "The once neglected space is now secure, safe and a welcoming hive of activity." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "HOPE AND HIGH-RISES" author: "Bridget Hilton-Barber" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/bridget-hilton-barber/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-08-11-donald-mackay-park-in-berea-brings-joy-to-joburg-inner-city/" published: "2025-08-11T13:04:39" updated: "2025-08-11T13:04:42" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 683 --- # Donald Mackay Park in Berea brings a little ‘joy’ to Joburg’s inner city > The once neglected space is now secure, safe and a welcoming hive of activity. By Bridget Hilton-Barber · Published 11 August 2025, 15:04 SAST · Updated 11 August 2025, 15:04 SAST ## Key points - Berea’s Donald Mackay Park has had a stunning makeover, transforming from a neglected urban jungle into a vibrant community oasis where basketballs bounce and fresh produce flourishes, proving that when locals and partners unite, even the most forlorn spaces can bloom. - Donald Mackay Park in Berea, Johannesburg, has undergone a remarkable transformation from a neglected space to a vibrant community hub, thanks to collaborative efforts among local residents, businesses, and government. - The park now features revamped playgrounds, sports fields, and an urban food garden, enhancing outdoor activity and community engagement for residents in the high-density area. - Local artist Persy Mamba's murals add a splash of color, while security measures and solar lighting ensure safety and accessibility for all visitors. - The revitalization project, spearheaded by Jozi My Jozi and supported by various partners, exemplifies the power of community collaboration in urban renewal. ## Content Once neglected and dangerous, Donald Mackay Park in inner-city Berea, Johannesburg, is now safe, secure and beautified. The park had fallen into dreadful disrepair in recent years, but it has become a welcoming green space and sports hub for people living in this high-density, poor area next to Hillbrow and Yeoville, with Ponte its signature high-rise. The park’s rejuvenation is also testament to the combined power of community, civil society, business and local government. Local mural artist Persy Mamba was putting the finishing touches on his colourful artworks as Jozi My Jozi (an inner-city revitalisation project) and its partners met to celebrate the completion of phase two of fixing Donald Mackay. We gathered in the beautiful new playground area, alongside the basketball and soccer fields, and from this angle it looked like Ponte was wearing a skirt of mural art. Even though the trees were bare, it was easy to imagine the park in summer. What a joy to see Ponte and Berea’s high-rises softened by foliage. ![Mural artist Persy Mamba at work](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/5u7ee-1qBy1xOyPQ7AF1Aw8UUKA=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/persy-mamba.jpg) *Mural artist Persy Mamba at work. (Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber)* ![Mural art by Persy Mamba](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/m9mDKO9xPlk1BskUV1rHQlGOh4k=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/mural-art-by-Persy-Mamba.jpg) *Mural art by Persy Mamba. (Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber)* Donald Mackay is one of Jozi’s oldest parks, established in 1896 with huge stone walls and many levels. Now it has been reimagined as an appropriate green space in the inner city. The park has been fenced and security guards employed. There are solar lights. The playground and sports fields have been revamped, the basketball fields are a huge hub for the area’s young people, and at the heart of it all is an urban food garden. The garden was completed in the first phase in February and has been flourishing all year, providing people with fresh produce and communal activity. The process of fixing Donald Mackay has been both as simple and as difficult as getting all the right people around the table. In this case, Jozi My Jozi acted as a super-connector. As CEO Bea Swanepoel says: “When we all work together, magic happens.” Fortress Real Estate Investments is a key partner, as well as Food & Trees for Africa, Joburg City Parks, Giants of Africa, Branch Environmental Design and, of course, local residents. We all took a walk up to the food garden and admired the city views. As we left the playground, local kids hopped on to the jungle gyms and see-saws. ![The new playground at Donald Mackay Park in Berea.Photos: Bridget Hilton-Barber](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/DgYNqjOlRpj85yb45OARNOSH6-s=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/donald-mackay-2.jpg) *The new playground at Donald Mackay Park in Berea. (Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber)* ![The food garden has been flourishing since its establishment in February](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/ckgLuErr4itFVH7HNvND0LfiEOs=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/food-garden.jpg) *The food garden has been flourishing since its establishment in February. (Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber)* “Donald Mackay has become a joy for the people here,” said Bafakile Mkhize, community coordinator of eKhaya Neighbourhood, an urban improvement project that aims to make a neighbourhood in Hillbrow and Berea. “To be able to enjoy outdoor activity is so beneficial for kids who live in these high-rises, and a safe park is where people can get together and relax, talk, build community.” ![New solar lighting, with Ponte in the background](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/G6ZlLYO7Hd1RMusD6ms5xIBjWSo=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/new-solar-lighting.jpg) *New solar lighting, with Ponte in the background. (Photo: Bridget Hilton-Barber)* ![Image](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/donald-dreams-big-scaled.jpg) ![A giant old tree provides shade in the park.](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/_1469puRJPxSMauQ_YuOg47wMVQ=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/ancient-trees.jpg) *A giant old tree provides shade in the park. (Photos: Bridget Hilton-Barber)* The food garden has been equipped with irrigation, fencing, tools and a shed. “A park, like a garden, can bring together the best a community has to offer in terms of healing, building and creating,” said Robyn Hills, head of programmes at Food & Trees for Africa, which implemented the building of the garden and training of gardeners. “Green spaces enhance community solutions and provide a safe space for those conversations to flourish.” The double basketball courts, also completed in February, were sponsored by Giants of Africa, a nonprofit organisation whose goal is to complete 100 basketball courts across Africa, promoting physical activity and fostering community engagement. “It has been phenomenal to see the gradual transformation of the park through this project,” said Jodie Elinor-Dreyer, head of corporate social investment and transformation at Fortress. “People from work teams and the community have gone above and beyond to rejuvenate a landmark.” **DM** *Bridget Hilton-Barber is a freelance writer who writes for Jozi My Jozi.* *This story first appeared in our weekly*Daily Maverick 168*newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.* ![Image](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DM-08082025-001-scaled.jpg)