There are many markets held in & around the city of Johannesburg (or 'Jozi' as she is affectionately called !) over the weekend, so this past weekend we took the opportunity to visit a couple of them.On Saturday morning we went to the fairly new (it first opened in October 2008) 'Jozi Food Market' in the Parktown Quarter of Parktown North. It is an open air market, showcasing homegrown, homemade, organic and natural products from a selection of speciality suppliers. (See the delicious array of bottled products above which included Pomegranate dressing, balsamic reductions, whisky marmalades, jams, meat rubs and pickles).
The market is open every Saturday from 08h30 to 13h30. We found a lovely array of organic vegetables, preserved meat products & sausages (above) and delicious homemade bread (below). The market stalls included people selling products like goats milk cheese, port, organic sparkling wine, rosewater cordials, cook books, honey, organic coffee and beautifully decorated cupcakes, to mention but a few.There is a public area with tables and benches laid out so that you can buy food and drink to try from the various stalls, then join some friends and tuck in ! I loved the fact that the market was pet friendly (no health & safety checks here !) with water bowls for dogs at various points throughout the market, and a few four-legged shoppers, too ! It's also family friendly with plastic push bikes for toddlers to play on and many families were out shopping and enjoying the market the day we went.
On Sunday we went to the well known 'Rosebank Rooftop Market' (it's open every Sunday & also on Public Holidays) which is situated in one of the parking areas of the Rosebank Mall, Rosebank. This market first opened in 1993 and now has around 600 stalls selling everything from clothing to artwork (some pictured below), crafts from all over Africa, paintings, jewellery, antiques & collectibles, kitchenware and food - to mention just a few of the delightful things which you can find there !
This market is very popular with tourists as you can pick up some great African crafts there, & there is a huge selection all under one roof. I've been a frequent visitor to this market over the years and have bought some lovely items for my home during each visit - this time I bought some lovely stainless steel cake forks, sugar spoon & butter knife which have hand welded beading/artwork and glass baubles worked into the handles - striking and unusual, I'm sure that you'll see them featured in an upcoming food/recipe post once I'm back home and in my own kitchen again !
Isn't this golden lion above gorgeous ? He's made of wire and beads and is the size of a small dog. It's all done by hand which makes each one unique.
The goats and sheep in the above photo are also made completely of wire/beads, as are most of the items you see on the tables behind them.
I just had to publish this photo as I know some of you who read my blog are great artists, so may find this interesting. It didn't come out too clearly due to the use of spotlights, but this artwork is made of African porcupine quills and is quite unusual. The artwork on the easels just behind these is all done on handmade paper - really beautiful, and typically African.
This stall above sold a selection of wooden salad and pickle spoons aswell as bowls. Many of these items can also be found in Tanzania & Kenya - the stall owner was not around at the time but I'm sure that s/he must be from somewhere in East Africa !
These beaded dolls above are, as far as I know, traditional South African Zulu dolls. This stall also had a lovely collection of beaded bookmarks - which you can just make out in front of the dolls.The market also has an extensive food section selling everything from preserves and pickles to bread, cheese, pies, spices and fruit and you can also grab a bite to eat here if you wish.
There is lots of entertainment laid on as you walk around the stalls - brass bands, mime artists, belly dancers, tap dancers and traditional African (Zulu) dancers dressed in animal skins are just a few of what we saw the day we went.
So, these are just 2 of the many markets which you will find in Johannesburg over a weekend and if you are ever visiting the city, I would recommend both as definitely well worth a visit for a true taste of South African life, culture and food !
