Affectionately described as “The Mother Market”, the Early Morning Market is now 100 years old, and provides an extended trading opportunity for over 2000 people. It is the historical cornerstone of the area. Boasting over 670 stalls selling a variety of fresh produce, spices, flowers and live poultry this is a true heritage of Durban city.

More information

There are 670 stalls in this Market, and each stall has between 2 and 3 assistants. The traders buy their produce from farmers or the municipal bulk Market, and the operation of the market relies largely on barrow operators who cart the produce to each stall. The barrow operators are managed separately. They transport the produce on barrows that can weigh up to 300kgs! Please be careful not to get in their way, they move really fast through the market.

Currently this market has an uncertain future as this is the site where the Municipality wants to build a shopping mall that will also incorporate certain public transport ranks. At this stage the proposed development does not include all the traders who currently derive their livelihoods associated with the Early Morning Market and are therefore challenging the proposal. On the tour you will see signs and notice boards as evidence of this protest. Any development proposals that redirect pedestrians’ to public transport ranks in alternate locations are of particular significance to vendors as their businesses are primarily dependent on this traffic that passes their sites.
Live poultry is for sale in cages in this Market; the white fowls are bought for consumption, whilst the black fowls are used for traditional medicine and in ceremonial purposes.