Ballito Umhl - NOV 2020

Tranquil
creative
The Place owner and
founder Michelle Sykes
moments
Tucked away within a quiet
nursery setting near Sheffield
Beach, this tranquil spot is
more than just a venue … it’s a
creative space where memories
are made, occasions celebrated
and ideas and good food shared.
Text: Leah Shone
With its warm, slightly rustic and
eclectic interior and almost entirely
glass greenhouse-type structure, The
Place is anything but average. It’s
obvious, from the moment you arrive,
that true love and passion has gone
into the conception of this space.
Owner Michelle Sykes opened The
Place five years ago when she saw
the opportunity for a creative venue
where people could host all types
of celebrations, business meetings,
product launches, and intimate
weddings.
Although she was born in Eshowe
and grew up on a sugar and citrus
farm on Nkwaleni Valley, Michelle
spent countless holidays and
weekends in Shaka’s Rock and Salt
Rock with her parents and three
sisters. Which is why, she says, the
area is incredibly close to her heart.
“Although it has grown, Salt Rock
still has a quaint, village appeal.
From playing tennis tournaments
at Umhlali Country Club at the age
of 10, to teenage discos at the Salt
Rock Country Club and movies at
the Salt Rock Hotel, this area formed
an integral part of my childhood and
life.” She married Darren in 1994 and
moved to Somerset West in the Cape
42 Get It • Ballito Umhlanga November 2020