On 3 November 2025, the Gauteng Local Division of the High Court (Johannesburg) ordered the City of Johannesburg to urgently and speedily engage with the South African Informal Traders Forum (SAITF), following its unlawful and forcible removal of traders over the previous few weeks, regarding the registration of traders, their verification, and the allocation of trading spaces in the inner city. This process is currently underway, and the Court ordered its completion by 18 November 2025.
Between 2 and 8 October 2025, the MMCs for the City, the Executive Mayor, officers of the JMPD, Johannesburg Property Company (JPC), members of the South African Police Service (SAPS), Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens (CPW), and members of the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) forcibly evicted informal traders and confiscated their stock and goods from their trading sites at Noord Street, King George Street, Klein Street, Wanderers Plein, De Villiers Street and Rissik Street. These forced evictions were carried out without lawful authority (which would be in the form of a court order), without prior notice, and in violation of the Businesses Act, the City’s informal trading by-laws, and the traders’ constitutional rights. The City has since unilaterally declared De Villiers Street as a non-trading area.
The Court-ordered mediation process must address the dispute between SAITF and the City that may arise out of the verification and allocation process. Importantly for traders, the Court also ordered a review, should aspects of the dispute be unresolved after mediation. This means that the parties may return to court within twenty days after mediation, by 8 December 2025.
Statistics South Africa finds that informal traders make up 48% of South Africa’s vibrant informal sector, which accounted for 19,5% of total employment in 2024. Nearly 60% of women informal workers cite unemployment as the main driver for joining the informal economy, which is the second-largest source of employment after the formal sector. The informal sector and trade, in particular, make up a significant part of South Africa’s economy and provide a crucial lifeline for low-income households. Given South Africa’s economic projections, this is unlikely to change anytime soon. The National Development Plan, for example, sees the informal sector creating between 1.2 and 2 million new jobs by 2030, affirming the important role played by the informal trade sector. In addition, food traders are key to urban food systems, and research has illustrated how 85% of households in Johannesburg and 66% in Cape Town relied on the informal market for access to food, in addition to accessing supermarkets.
SERI’s director of Litigation, Nkosinathi Sithole, had this to say about the matter: “SERI is committed, alongside SAITF, to supporting traders in the process of registration, verification, and allocation. SERI remains committed to protecting the rights of all people to make a living free from harm or harassment. Our clients welcome the option of a return to court, if necessary.”
Contact details:
- Edward Molopi, SERI senior communications and advocacy officer: Edward[at]seri-sa.org / 082 590 9638.
>> Download the statement here.