The long-awaited Masiphumelele Gateway Market has officially opened in Cape Town’s Deep South, marking a major shift for informal traders who have spent years working in difficult and often unsafe conditions, reports Cape {town} Etc.
City of Cape Town/X
Geordin Hill-Lewis joined James Vos on Tuesday to unveil the upgraded market facility, which is expected to create around 57 trading opportunities for small business owners in the area.
Located near the busy Masiphumelele transport corridor, the market is designed to serve surrounding communities including Ocean View, Kommetjie and Masiphumelele itself, areas where informal trading has long played a crucial role in household survival and local economic activity.
From muddy stalls to a formal trading space
For many residents, the site’s transformation is significant.
What was once described as a muddy and disorganised trading area has now been converted into a structured marketplace with permanent kiosks, food preparation spaces, public seating, parking and office facilities.
Five of the kiosks have also been designed to accommodate light manufacturing businesses, opening the door for small-scale production ventures and entrepreneurial growth beyond traditional street trading.
Speaking at the launch, Hill-Lewis said the project forms part of the City’s wider investment into informal trading infrastructure across Cape Town.
The City has increasingly focused on upgrading trading spaces in communities where informal economies are deeply intertwined with daily life. In many lower-income areas, street vendors are not just business owners, they are often breadwinners supporting extended families amid ongoing unemployment pressures.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, joined by Alderman James Vos, officially opened the new Masiphumelele Gateway Market.
The upgraded hub will support 57 traders and forms part of R400m+ invested in trading infrastructure to boost local economic growth.
See: https://t.co/IrToFXaCMU pic.twitter.com/hhuYuXQm3w
— City of Cape Town (@CityofCT) May 5, 2026
Community involvement shaped the project
According to the City, the development followed consultations with traders and local stakeholders before construction began.
Applications for the first group of vendors are currently being processed, with trading operations expected to start later this month.
Vos said the goal was not only to improve safety and cleanliness but also to create spaces that genuinely respond to the needs of local communities.
The Masiphumelele project joins several other market developments completed across Cape Town over the past year, including upgrades in Bo-Kaap, Wallacedene, Somerset West and Macassar.
Further trading infrastructure projects are also planned for Mitchells Plain and the Vuyani Public Transport Interchange.
Residents welcome investment in local business
Reaction online and within local community groups has largely been positive, with many residents praising the City for investing in small businesses and creating more organised public trading spaces.
Others, however, have raised questions about how trading permits will be allocated and whether long-standing informal traders will receive priority access to the new facilities.
Informal trading remains one of the most accessible entry points into the economy for many South Africans, particularly in communities facing high unemployment rates. Projects like the Masiphumelele Gateway Market are increasingly seen as part of a broader effort to formalise and support township entrepreneurship while improving public infrastructure.
As trading prepares to begin in the coming weeks, many local vendors will be hoping the new market becomes more than just a facelift but a genuine opportunity for long-term economic stability.
Article by Hope Makhoba for Cape ETC
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