North Coasters are thrilled that Durban’s iconic, monthly I Heart Market has made its home right here on our doorstep at Sugar Rush Park. We found out a little more about the ambitious human behind this beloved market. Meet Anna Savage.
A true creative, a rule-breaker and an entrepreneur who marches to the beat of her own drum, Anna is a Durban girl who left her chef career to create a platform for local craftspeople who didn’t have a place to sell their wares. A decade later, the I Heart Market is still one of Durban’s most loved and well-supported.
1. TELL US ABOUT YOUNGER ANNA
I grew up in Glenwood and went to Durban Girls High. From the first day of school I knew I didn’t want to go back (even though I had to continue for the next 12 years!). I’ve always proffered to do things differently. I don’t like sticking to the rules and I like finding fun, creative solutions. After school I travelled the world, working in restaurants in London and New York. This is where I discovered my passion for food and desire to become a chef. I trained at Christina Martins Chef School after returning home and then spent time running high-volume fine dining restaurants in Franschhoek. I returned to Durban a few years later and an opportunity to open a restaurant fell in my lap. Five weeks later, without much of an idea of what direction I wanted to go in, at the age of 26, I opened Manna – a day-time café in Marriott Road. I loved being able to create the foods that I wanted to eat and the customers loved it, too!
2. WHEN, HOW AND WHY WAS I HEART MARKET BORN?
After a few years, the strain of running restaurants took its toll and I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue. I left the industry. Soon afterwards I discovered a gap in the market when I realised that no-one was showcasing locally-made products. I knew so many talented craftspeople who didn’t have a platform to sell their wares and so I heart Market was born! Understanding the social habits of Durbanites I decided to host it once a month and the market grew fast. Our relatively small database of traders began to grow.
3. WHAT WAS YOUR INITIAL VISION AND HOW HAS IT EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS?
The vision was always to showcase locally-made products that we thought were unique, interesting and different from the run-of-the-mill items you find in a mall. We wanted to create a wholesome day out in nature where you could support the creatives in your own community. Most importantly, this was never going to be a ‘flea market’. You can’t buy cheap plastic items, imported, tacky or poorly made products. We showcase only good quality artisan products … which is why I called it I Heart Market – it was all the things that I loved.
4. TELL US ABOUT MOVING TO THE NORTH COAST?
The dynamics of Durban shifted a lot and, post Covid, we decided that a change was needed to continue the I Heart Market trajectory. We love Sugar Rush Park! It’s a great activity hub for the whole family and already has lots of fun things going on there … so adding the market just makes it more of an attraction.
5. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE AT THE NEW I HEART MARKET?
The move has brought with it a nice selection of traders – some old and some new. All are great quality though. Shoppers can expect to find hand-crafted jewellery, natural skin care, soya wax candles, kids toys and clothing, women’s wear, cool T-shirts, beautiful leather shoes, delicious brownies, biltong and snacks, as well as a tasty selection of food to eat after building up an appetite from all your shopping!
6. WHAT ARE YOUR TOP ‘MARKET-SHOPPING’ TIPS?
Sunblock! Hydrate! Take the time to chat to the traders. That’s the joy of a market . . . you can chat to the people who have actually designed and made the product. You can learn about the process and get to know them better, thereby understanding where your hard-earned money is going!
Details: @iheartmarket. Anyone interested in joining I Heart Market as a trader can contact Anna on: [email protected]
