{"id":781390,"date":"2024-07-13T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-13T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=781390"},"modified":"2024-07-14T07:23:06","modified_gmt":"2024-07-14T05:23:06","slug":"the-best-flea-street-and-farmers-markets-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/lifestyle\/781390\/the-best-flea-street-and-farmers-markets-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"The best flea, street and farmer’s markets in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Victoria Yards market in Johannesburg remains the top rated market in South Africa, according to a recent analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the modern era, dominated by shopping malls and digital commerce, the time-honoured marketplace tradition remains vibrant, particularly in South Africa, which boasts some of the continent’s and the world’s top-rated farmers, street, and flea markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These dynamic centers are key to nurturing lively communities, as they boost local businesses, supply vital products, and highlight cultural diversity, entrepreneurship, and creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Markets bring people together, generate economic opportunities, and provide essential goods such as food and clothing,” remarked Marcela Guerrero Casas, co-founder of Local South. Consequently, South Africa is renowned for its array of coveted markets scattered throughout the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the last update<\/a> of a market ranking system done on information collected in December 2023, BusinessesTech looked at publicly available data from Tripadvisor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking at markets with at least<\/strong> 40 reviews on the website, we calculated which have the highest proportion of 5-star rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Africa ranking<\/th>Market<\/th>Location<\/th>% of reviews = 5 stars<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
1<\/td>Victoria Yards<\/td>Johannesburg<\/td>91.47%<\/td><\/tr>
2<\/td>Market @ The Sheds<\/td>Pretoria<\/td>89.09%<\/td><\/tr>
3<\/td>Lourensford Market<\/td>Somerset West<\/td>63.11%<\/td><\/tr>
4<\/td>The Playground<\/td>Johannesburg<\/td>62.50%<\/td><\/tr>
5<\/td>Pretoria Farmers Market\/Boeremark<\/td>Pretoria<\/td>62.22%<\/td><\/tr>
6<\/td>Hermanus Country Market<\/td>Hermanus<\/td>59.71%<\/td><\/tr>
7<\/td>The Old Biscuit Mill<\/td>Cape Town<\/td>58.99%<\/td><\/tr>
8<\/td>Hazel Food Market<\/td>Pretoria<\/td>55.08%<\/td><\/tr>
9<\/td>Market on Main<\/td>Johannesburg<\/td>53.49%<\/td><\/tr>
10<\/td>Mojo Market<\/td>Cape Town<\/td>52.47%<\/td><\/tr>
11<\/td>Mosaic Outdoor Market<\/td>Sedgefield<\/td>46.77%<\/td><\/tr>
12<\/td>Bryanston Market<\/td>Johannesburg<\/td>46.69%<\/td><\/tr>
13<\/td>Outeniqua Farmers Market<\/td>George<\/td>46.55%<\/td><\/tr>
14<\/td>Rosebank Sunday Market<\/td>Johannesburg<\/td>41.85%<\/td><\/tr>
15<\/td>Montagu Village Market<\/td>Montagu<\/td>30%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div>
Source: Tripadvisor reviews (calculated on 8 July 2024)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this year, Merchant Machine published a ranking which outlined the world’s and Africa’s top rated markets (using the same methodology) based on data collected in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This ranking saw the Victoria Yards market, which maintained its top spot, clenching the title for being the seventh top user-ranked market in the world, with Market @ The Sheds placing 15th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These two markets also grabbed the top spots in Africa. The Playground and Pretoria Farmers Market placed fourth and fifth, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Africa’s top five markets (based on proportion of 5-star reviews on Tripadvisor)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

5 \u2013 Pretoria Farmers Market\/ Pretoria Boeremark<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"No
Photo: Pretoria Boeremark (Facebook)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Going strong for over three decades, “the Pretoria Boeremark is an open-air informal trading platform established for farmers to sell essential foodstuff directly to the public.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When most people are still asleep on a Saturday morning, the Farmers’ Market site is already buzzing as exhibitors set up their stalls and fill them with fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, baked goods, handmade goods and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first buyers usually get there at just after 5h00, with the market running from 5h30.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be found at 665 Moreleta Street, Silverton, Pretoria, every Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

4 \u2013 The Playground<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"The
Photo: Play Braamfontein (website)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

“The Playground,” formerly known as Braamfontein’s Neighbourgoods Market venue, has reopened under the management of Play Braam. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It now hosts weekly Saturday markets from 11h00 – 19h00, featuring gourmet street food, cocktails, live music performances, and DJs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sunday events with live music are coming soon, emphasizing a vibrant visitor experience and supporting young talent in Johannesburg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Activities include creative workshops, artisanal food stalls, and live music, all set against the iconic Nelson Mandela Bridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be found at 73 Juta St, Braamfontein, Johannesburg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

3 \u2013 Lourensford Market<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Photo: Lourensford Market (website)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The Lourensford Market at Lourensford Wine Estate in Heldernerg features 60 permanent stalls offering a diverse selection of food and drink, including estate wines and craft beers, along with handmade wares, original artwork, artisanal produce, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional activities like putt-putt, archery and pellet gun fun at the Clay Pigeon Adventures Hub. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Live music by resident DJs, acoustic artists, or bands adds to the ambiance on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, while vintage car enthusiasts can admire classic automobiles at the MOTOR Studio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note that the market is closed for the season, and can be found at Lourensford Wine Estate, Lourensford Estate, Somerset West, Cape Town when it reopens in September 2024<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

2 \u2013 Market @ The Sheds<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
Image: Market @ The Sheds (website)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Pretoria’s 012central hosts what it labels as the city’s “trendiest inner-city market,” blending city market vibes with South African flavors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Market@theSheds is the <\/em>place to start the rediscovery of the Pretoria you thought you knew. It is a project of the Capital Collective, a non-profit organisation promoting rejuvenation efforts in the inner-city,” said the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event features over 50 stands from local entrepreneurs, designers, artists, and musicians, offering live music, art exhibitions, and creative activations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trading hours are 11h00 to 20h00. Entry fees vary throughout the day: R80 before 12 PM, prices adjust before 2 PM and again after 2 PM. Entry is free for kids under 13, Vespa riders, and cyclists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the market is usually held on the first Saturday of each month, dates may shift, especially over long weekends. Updates are available on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be found at 387 Helen Joseph St, Arcadia, Pretoria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

1 \u2013 Victoria Yards Market<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Photo: Tripadivsor<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Africa’s top-rated market and the world’s seventh-largest, the Victoria Yards Market, is held on the first Sunday of every month at 16 Viljoen Street, Johannesburg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It recently won Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Award for 2024 and is listed as the #1 out of 193 things to do in Johannesburg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flea market started in 2016 at Victoria Yards with just a handful of stalls but has since grown to host over 40 vendors. It offers a wide selection of unique and handmade goods, vintage finds, and diverse food options ranging from baked goods to pickled items, catering to a broad audience. As of now, it boasts 53 tenants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur market is a perfect destination for discovering unique and handmade goods, and we encourage local artisans to share their creations,\u201d said the market, which is known to also present a vast array of food and drink stalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from the market, there are daily tours of the facility which boasts artisan and visual studios, urban farming, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Read: South Africa ranked as the friendliest country in the world<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

These are South Africa’s top 15 flea, street and farmers markets based on an analysis of reviews from Tripadvisor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101,"featured_media":781477,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9876],"tags":[20187,20186,20189,20188,20185],"class_list":["post-781390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-lourensford-market","tag-market-the-sheds","tag-pretoria-boeremark","tag-the-playground","tag-victoria-yards"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/781390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/101"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=781390"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/781390\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":782365,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/781390\/revisions\/782365"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/781477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=781390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=781390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=781390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}