The Joburg Fresh Produce Market has embarked on a drive to ensure as many residents as possible get its buyer’s card to enjoy fresh produce at wholesale prices.
Currently about 24 000 market clients use the Joburg Market’s buyers’ card, which allows them to buy fresh produce from three trading hubs – the vegetables, the fruit and the potato and onion hubs.
The Joburg Market opens every weekday and Saturdays in City Deep from 5am to 11am.
To buy in the trading hubs, one should have the buyer’s card. You do not have to buy in bulk, however, it is not a retail environment and so purchases by the kilogram are not possible. The produce must be purchased in the unit offered. In practical terms, it means buying a box of peaches, a bag of potatoes and so forth.
Very often families or buyers’ clubs pool money and buy a variety of fresh produce and thereafter the produce is shared. A saving of about 30% could be realised. It would be advisable to ask the Joburg Market marketing team for assistance during a first visit to get acquainted with the operations and formalities of buying at the Market.
Residents can apply at the Market’s customer service kiosk for the card, which enables buyers to purchase produce from agents from one central system.
“The card is currently available at the Joburg Market for free for first-time buyers, however, there is a R50 charge for a lost card,” says Toni Wessie, the Joburg Market’s Customer Relations Manager. It’s one card per customer,” she explains.
Wessie says the Market introduced buyer’s cards to capture all transactions in accordance with trading rules. A chipped smart card was first introduced in the year 2000 and a contactless card with enhanced security features was launched in 2005.
The Joburg Market measures a total of 65 000m2 and serves about 5 000 farmers from across South Africa who send their fresh produce to be traded to a larger buyer base, averaging about 10 000 daily. The Market can be regarded as the “stock exchange” for fresh produce. Supply and demand determine the prices of fresh produce daily.
The Joburg Market also operates 55 cold rooms that can accommodate 4 561 pallets of fresh produce and 50 banana-ripening rooms, which can handle 1 590 pallets of bananas at a go.
The Joburg Market can be reached on 011 992 8000.
