Global nod highlights downtown market and informal traders
Johannesburg has been placed eighth in Time Out magazine’s latest global ranking of street-food cities, a result that shines a light on the city’s downtown food scene and the role of informal vendors in providing low-cost meals and livelihoods.
The London-based publication gave the city a score of 56% in its June ranking, which drew on a survey of about 24,000 urban residents worldwide, according to the report. Time Out singled out the Kwa Mai Mai market in the centre of Johannesburg — a site with roots going back to the late 1920s — for its flame-grilled meat, lively atmosphere and cultural history.
The recognition comes amid a broader conversation about how the informal economy keeps many households afloat in a city grappling with high unemployment and rising living costs.
- Ranking: 8th globally
- Score: 56%
- Survey size: 24,000 respondents (Time Out)
"We sell all kinds of food here. Meat, steak, wors, pap and sheep head. People love it. This place is very popular with tourists as well. They love it. They love this area. Ask anyone about Mai Mai street food, and they will tell you that it's always worth coming back for," said Menelisi Buthelezi, a street-food vendor at the market.
Visitors and locals alike praised the market’s affordability and authentic flavours. "I love their food because it's not only good; it's also so affordable. We really love coming to have food here at Mai Mai," said Nonsindiso Nxumalo, quoted in the article.
Economic commentators cited by Time Out framed street food as part of a larger survival strategy for many Johannesburg residents. Shaun Masemola, described as an economic analyst, noted that the informal sector generates grassroots economic activity: each transaction between a consumer and a street vendor supports a wider value chain, according to the reporting.
What this means for Johannesburg
The recognition is likely to have several local consequences. Tourism promoters can use the ranking to attract visitors interested in culinary travel, while market traders may see increased foot traffic. Yet the spotlight also draws attention to persistent challenges: traders operate in a constrained regulatory environment, face competition for trading space and contend with limited access to infrastructure such as electricity, water and waste removal.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| City | Johannesburg |
| Rank (Time Out) | 8th |
| Score | 56% |
| Survey size | 24,000 respondents |
For many traders at Kwa Mai Mai, the market is a century-spanning lifeline. Established as a migrant workers' gathering point, the market’s evolution into a cultural hub reflects both the city’s social history and present-day realities: a space where entrepreneurship meets survival.
City officials, tourism bodies and organisations that work with informal traders will now have an opportunity to build on the recognition. Steps could include promoting hygiene and safety standards, improving waste management, and creating more secure trading areas — measures that could protect both public health and traders’ incomes without undermining the market’s character.
For residents, the ranking validates what many already know: Johannesburg’s food scene is a living archive of migration, cultural exchange and creative adaptation. As the city courts visitors with new culinary credentials, the challenge will be to ensure that the benefits reach the vendors who sustain the markets and the neighbourhoods around them.
The Time Out result provides a timely reminder that when people in Johannesburg line up for a plate of flame-grilled meat or a bowl of pap, they are participating in an economy and culture that have long defined the city.
