The City will invest R144-million rands into the expansion and reconstruction of the Mandela Market – dubbed the People’s Market – in a bid to build an additional 28 stalls, added to the existing 71.
The infrastructure plan was unveiled during a ceremonial sod-turning event attended by the Executive Mayor, Herman Mashaba, and the MMC for Economic Development, Leah Knott, as well as the Market's CEO, Ayanda Kanana on Monday, 2 September.
The entire development is expected to create 262 jobs during and after construction and is hoped to grow the local economy and assist entrepreneurs to eke out a living working in better conditions.
Currently, the Mandela market is an open trading area comprising a large group of informal vendors trading in a formalised area of tarmac. There are 71 storage stalls, with 125 traders, forcing traders to share stalls.
Because of the large volume of trading taking place there, traders have extended their stalls with steel pipes and sacks to create more space and shield their produce from the scorching sun.
After noticing the conditions and realising that the Mandela market contributes an annual R250-million rands to the Joburg market’s GPD, Kanana devised the upgrades. “It makes business sense to create more trading space and restore the dignity of the people working here,” he said.
The new Mandela market design will be a “green building,” using solar power. Further upgrades include a new taxi rank servicing the entire City Deep precinct, new cold storage rooms and a generator plant, and upgrades to the road, electrical, and water infrastructure.
Traders will be trained on product handling and cold chain management. A trading accountant manager will also be appointed to facilitate the formalisation of the sector.
The expansion is expected to create an estimated R320-million rands per annum in buying power for the market, post the construction phase.
“The upgrade to this critical component of the Joburg Market is a clear demonstration of this multi-party government’s commitment to bring Diphetogo to our residents, especially our entrepreneurs and small business owners. This project will also target women and youth when new stalls are allocated and when the entrepreneurship programme is implemented,” Mashaba explained.
The Joburg Market serves about 5 000 farmers from across South Africa who send their fresh produce to be traded to a larger buyer base.
“Twenty-three percent of the income of the City comes from informal traders and an entity that is making money was allowed to stagnate, this can’t be,” said MMC Knott.
One of the mayoral priorities includes growing the local economy by at least 5 percent a year to create much-need jobs, especially for the youth. “These upgrades are a commitment from the City to support the growth of businesses through implementing and upgrading basic infrastructure. This is a goal this administration continues to be committed to,” said Mashaba.
