an independent initiative founded in cape town in 2006 by entrepreneurs justin rhodes and cameron munro, neighbourgoods market arrived in the vibrant joburg neighbourhood of braamfontein just over a year ago, taking ownership of a landmark inner-city building with an imposing large scale concrete 1970s façade by celebrated sculptor edoardo villa.

when we visited last weekend we entered into a buzzing environment at the height of the lunchtime rush, and were met with the thrilling sight of an abundance of aromatic food stands and trendy young urbanites filling the underground first floor to the brim. with the organic wine flowing (i opted for a citrus blossom-y chenin blanc) and an authentic italian pizza prepped to perfection, we explored the sprawling cavern to find a wealth of exotic meats, artisan coffee, raw organic chocolate, gourmet pesto and incredibly moreish beignets, that would not have been out of place lining the streets of portobello or shoreditch.

upstairs on the second floor an extensive rooftop area offered up stunning views across the city in the early afternoon sunshine and was again a hive of youthful activity. alongside the packed bar area were a multitude of fashion stalls selling a wealthy of handcrafted jewellery and vintage treasures being poured over by young creatives of all ethnicities, luxuriating in the chilled-out, über-cool atmosphere of the marketplace.

i was particularly drawn to the elegant craftsmanship of jewellery designer dannali wilson, and ultimately tempted by a super-cute africa-shaped charm pendant, with a heart over south africa – it’s adorable!

[icon name=”location-arrow” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] neighbourgoods (saturdays, 9am – 3pm), 73 juta street, braamfontein, johannesburg 

[icon name=”handshake-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””] fabric of my life was hosted in johannesburg by south africa tourism