The various Fresh Produce Markets in our major cities are a key part of South Africa’s agricultural sector. They help to ensure market access for farmers and that the traders, vendors, and many other stakeholders can efficiently access the various produce they need for reselling in their areas.
The efficiency of the Fresh Produce Markets also helps with price discovery, which is key for both sellers and buyers. Their proper functioning and speedy transfer of information arguably help to ensure consumers have relatively affordable prices in various fresh produce markets and minimise price manipulation.
The responsibility of maintaining many of them lies with the municipality. And when they are not properly maintained, they present both inefficiencies and food safety risks, as well as inefficiencies in price discovery. It is for this reason that many of us have been calling for properly functioning municipalities that appreciate the importance of the various fresh produce markets, not just as income generators, but as part of maintaining our food system.
I am making this point because the Tshwane Fresh Produce Market is in the news, with the Gauteng High Court urging the Mayor and the Municipal Manager to present a complete plan for repairing the Market. The Tshwane Fresh Produce Market is one of South Africa’s largest Fresh Produce Markets, and ordinarily, the various stakeholders would be unhappy with its inefficient management and neglect of maintenance.
A few weeks ago, together with various agricultural stakeholders, we met with the Mayor of Tshwane, Dr Nasiphi Moya, and, to be fair, she was not part of the many years of neglect of the Fresh Produce Market, as she assumed office only in October 2024.
Still, she is in charge now, and one of the issues we raised with her was the deteriorating state of the Tshwane Fresh Produce Market. We also emphasised its importance to food security, and for many farmers and agricultural stakeholders. This is a message she took to heart, and her team followed up with presenting an Investment and Revitalising draft plan for the City, including the Fresh Produce Market.
The current legal matters will run their course. Still, I think the many agricultural stakeholders who attended the Mayor’s Agricultural Stakeholders Dinner should work on improving the draft plan that was shared with us, and see how we could enhance the revitalisation of the Tshwane Fresh Produce Market.
This will take more than just the willing stakeholders to help. The City of Tshwane leadership will have to nudge many people responsible for the Fresh Produce to be more collaborative with the private sector. We should also entertain the idea of bringing more private sector involvement in the running and management of the Fresh Produce. The details of what such an arrangement would look like are something that the impacted stakeholders could explore.
What is clear to me is that we have a mayor who is open to dialogue on how to improve the Tshwane Fresh Produce Market, and is interested in investments by the private sector. Dr Moya will have to mobilise her officials, while the private sector can also explore ways to collaborate and rescue the Tshwane Fresh Produce Market from its current state. What is essential is that there must be a decent budget for maintenance, cleanliness and hygiene; we must deal with market waste; and ringfence some of the funds paid by agents and traders on the market for reinvestment in the Fresh Produce Market.
The discussion needs to go further than Tshwane and also assess the state of the Fresh Produce Markets in other municipalities. If our municipalities aren’t running appropriately and service delivery is inadequate, it is unclear if the Fresh Produce Markets are working effectively. And their ineffectiveness adds a cost burden to consumers and many involved in the Market. The poor state of Fresh Produce Markets also limits the participation of new entrant farmers and stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
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