The Cape Town Market in Epping has been central to providing fresh food in Cape Town, it is the primary source of produce for informal traders and spaza shops and is responsible for sourcing most of the city’s food.
The market has been so central to the city’s functioning, playing a vital role in food security and opening up employment possibilities.
Cape Town is not the only city in South Africa to have such a fresh produce market, but Cape Town Market is the only privatised market where the majority of the shareholders are farmers.
‘If you come out of prison with a criminal record, no one is going to want to hire you, but over here you have the possibility of buying something you can trade instead of turning to a life of crime,’ David Nortjie, floor manager of Cape Town Market said.
David started working at the market in 1983 but came there often as a child with his father, who started working there in 1967.
There are many stories to be told at the market, some of struggle, and some of fortune, but if you’ve eaten food in the greater Cape Town area, it’s part of the story of how food ended up on your plate.
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Hilda Hill( left) and her team (right). She is from Tzaneen, Limpopo, and is one of the traders at the newer Village Market just outside the main warehouse building. She sources a lot of her products from northern South Africa, and other African countries. The Mopane worms from Botswana, Baobab fruit from Zimbabwe and African bird’s eye Chilli from
Uthmaan Rhoda was the first market agent of colour on the floor, starting RMA Agents in the early 2000s. He started as an informal trader on the sidewalk outside the main market but through a lot of struggle and discipline, got a space on the main market floor to trade.
Flippie Mengel knows everything potatoes and onions, two of the biggest commodities sold on the market floor. With farming becoming ever-more precarious, the market agents play a vital role between the farmer and the market to ensure the farmer gets the best price for their produce.
Brandon is one of the porters that transport produce for buyers to the parking lot. It’s a difficult hustle, but in a country with rising unemployment, it’s one of the few employment options for some.
Boeta Johnson (third from right) pictured with his family. He traded on the sidewalk outside the market on the pavement for years until as recently as 2019 when he experienced regular raids from the city authorities. Through negotiations with traders and the market, a new people’s market was built parallel to the market. With Boeta’s business having been formalised, he now runs Johnson Fruiters with his family.
Watch our video about the market here.
These pictures were taken on the Huawei P60 pro
Pictures: David Henning
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