Cape Town: The City Council approved the new Market Management Policy which will be implemented to strengthen, expand and manage the markets on City-owned land. The policy is designed to make it easier to do business, empower communities and operators, and unlock the full economic and social potential of markets across Cape Town.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Economic Growth – Alderman James Vos said that the policy is a major step forward in the mission to create an enabling environment where the local markets can flourish.
Vos stated that by introducing clear governance models, they are improving access and are supporting the development of new and existing markets. They are putting in place the kind of practical innovations that help businesses to grow, help communities participate and ensure that these spaces become places of pride.
The main purpose of the Market Management Policy is to:
- Define governance and management models for markets on city-owned land, whether they are city-operated or run by external operators.
- Set out the developmental approach of the City of Cape Town for new market opportunities by including identifying suitable sites, guiding applications for new markets and improving the existing spaces through capacitation and effective management.
This approval by the city council follows an extensive public participation process that includes focused engagements and workshops with informal trader leadership.
James Vos further stated that the markets are more than trading spaces. They are the vibrant hubs where neighbourhoods express their identity through food, craft, culture and creativity. They support small businesses, create pathways for emerging entrepreneurs, and bring life to public spaces.
With this new policy, they are making processes and management structures easier, more accessible and more supportive for market operators to run these spaces in ways that make business sense and to unlock their full potential, while deepening community participation. This is how they grow local economies and create jobs.
The Market Management Policy forms part of the broader efforts of the City of Cape Town to boost the economic growth, unlock investment and ensure that the Cape Town remains a place where businesses can succeed and communities receive benefits.