Greenmarket Square, Cape Town – African Market

Greenmarket Square is one of the City’s oldest markets and is the perfect trading place for Cape Town’s growing informal sector. Going to the market is a vibrant and colourful shopping experience and it is located just a block away from the Eurocentres Language School!

From slave trade to bartering capital

The history of the square dates back to the slave trade, when slaves were sold at the market, but for the most part, the square was the centre of trade in goods and supplies to the hundreds of ships that passed the Cape of Good Hope en route to the Indies.

Originally known as the Burgher Watch Square, Greenmarket Square was built on the corner of Short and Longmarket streets way back in 1696. It soon became a fruit and vegetable market, hence the name and in 1961 it was declared a national monument.

Hub of the informal garment industry

Greenmarket Square use to be just a clothing and apparel market. Locals would buy proudly South African made goods and at the same time support the cut, make & trim (cmt) suppliers of the informal sector.

Although African curios are mainly sold here, if you spend some time at the market, you can also buy good quality clothing, leather goods, bead work and other captivating art and crafts. The market is an exciting place, with jugglers and mime artists entertain shoppers to the beat of African drums.

A melange of nations

Make sure you bargain with the traders before settling on a price so that you can get the best deal. Interact with the traders and you will get to meet a great mix of people from all over Africa – Mali, Nigeria, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe are all well represented here. The Square has a fine range of coffee shops, cocktail bars and restaurants that offer a light lunch, a full English tea or a crackling cold Martini – shaken to the sounds of an African drum beat!