Adderley Street flower sellers oppose planned rules and tariffs

“We are not informal traders,” says florist Alison Snyders. Photos: Ashraf Hendricks

Flower sellers at the iconic Trafalgar Place in Adderley Street are concerned that a new plan by the City of Cape Town will change how their market operates.

People have been selling flowers at the market for more than a century.

“My mom was here, my auntie was here, my uncle was here, my grandfather was here,” says Glenda Bowman, who has been selling flowers for more than 50 years.

Flowers have been sold at the iconic Trafalgar Place in Adderley Street since the 1800s.

The City of Cape Town has proposed an Informal Trading Plan, under which 20 trading bays will be demarcated, the structure will be upgraded, and trading hours will be limited to 6am to 6pm. Currently, there are no limits to trading hours, and some stalls are open until late.

Design work for upgrades has already started, according to mayco member for economic growth James Vos. It will include a new canopy to replace the leaking roof, level and accessible walkways with upgraded drainage, secure and lockable trading stalls with water points, a formal loading area, enhanced sanitation and waste management, and “heritage storytelling elements”.

“This is my passion, my life,” says Gairoenisa Oliver.

Under the proposed plan, sellers will also be required to obtain permits, for which they will pay R148 a month.

But flower sellers say they have not been properly consulted and object to paying monthly fees.

“We’re not informal traders”, says Alison Snyders. She says her family has been selling flowers since the market opened in the 1800s. She has worked at the market since the age of ten. She is now 45.

“We need to be open 24 hours,” she says. “There’s always funerals, there’s always weddings … so people always need flowers.”

The City plans for upgrades will include replacing the uneven floor. Traders say when wet, the floor is dangerous and slippery.

The flower sellers also want to be able to keep managing the market themselves.

There is a roster for vendors to rotate stands at the entrance to the market to benefit from increased foot traffic. This might not be allowed under the City’s plan.

Vos said that “discussions are ongoing” and the flower sellers will continue to be engaged on the plan.

The introduction of permits is in line with the City’s Informal Trading By-law, he said. “Permit fees will be minimal, aligned with those paid by other CBD traders, and are not intended to be onerous,” Vos said.

Glenda Bowman prepares a bouquet for a client. She said she wants to make sure the heritage value of the market is protected for future generations.

Snyder says that she welcomes the City’s intention to renovate the market, but that the sellers should be part of the process. “If they are just going to do their own thing, then they should rather leave us alone”, she says.

“I love this place. It is something that you get attached to. It becomes part of your daily life, and to work with flowers is the most beautiful thing,” says Shaun Williams, who has been working at the market for over 40 years. He says the proposed changes make him unsure about the future.

Shaun Williams is one of the dozens of flower traders at Trafalgar Square who object to being called informal traders.

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