Through art, urban farming, and collaboration with local residents and businesses, Makers Valley is transforming Johannesburg neighbourhoods.
Johannesburg, South Africa (09 September 2025) – Makers Valley is quietly reshaping neighbourhoods in Johannesburg. Creating spaces where communities can thrive. What were once neglected streets, dumping zones, and forgotten corners are now alive with colour, greenery, and activity, thanks to the work of this community-driven initiative.
Across areas like Bertrams, Bez Valley, Judith’s Paarl, Troyeville, and Lorentzville, Makers Valley is transforming public spaces into vibrant hubs of art, urban farming, and collaboration. Murals brighten walls, community gardens flourish, and creative entrepreneurs. From artists to carpenters, they are actively shaping a sense of belonging.
“It is about making place,” says Hector Mgiba, co-CEO of Makers Valley. “You need to make it more than just a space but rather a place that people want to go to.”
Makers Valley looked to make the initiative much more than aesthetic, but about meaningful impact. Makers Valley works closely with local businesses like Nando’s, Victoria Yards, and grassroots leaders to create opportunities for job creation, skills development, and entrepreneurship. By harnessing the talents of residents and local networks, the project promotes sustainable change while energising communities.
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At the heart of their approach is ‘changemaking,’ a concept inspired by Ashoka, which involves using community networks, organisations, and social entrepreneurs to drive systemic transformation. This means engaging with local residents through forums and door-to-door conversations to understand their needs and co-create solutions. It’s about listening, learning, and working together to build a well-being economy where everyone can prosper.
The streets of Makers Valley themselves tell a story lined with trees, corrugated iron-roofed homes, and silver warehouses, but it is the people who give the neighbourhood its true character. Through creative initiatives, sustainable projects, and thoughtful urban design, residents, entrepreneurs, and organisations are reshaping the way local communities interact, learn, and grow.
Makers Valley proves that revitalising a neighbourhood is about nurturing connection, opportunity, and pride. By turning streets, gardens, and studios into inclusive places for work, play, and collaboration, they are creating a ripple effect of transformation that inspires change beyond East Johannesburg.
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