Market on Main

Running an informal market in Johannesburg means navigating space, electricity access, water supply, and foot traffic patterns that shift with the city's energy and timing. Market on Main operates by understanding these realities: securing a pitch that draws customers, managing goods in Gauteng's summer heat and unpredictable weather, coordinating with neighbouring traders, and adapting stock rotation to match what locals actually need on any given day. The physical work of setting up, breaking down, securing stock, and managing cash flows happens against the backdrop of load shedding affecting trading hours and the constant calculation of what inventory moves fastest. Success here depends on reading the market—literally understanding which products, at which prices, will sell in that location on that day.