The Market Square

In the heart of Johannesburg, a bustling energy surrounds Market Square. It’s a place where whispers of the past mingle with the vibrant pulse of the present. Market Square wasn’t always a concrete jungle. In 1886, it was a dusty plain dotted with Boer wagons, a makeshift marketplace in Ferreira’s Camp and Marshall’s Camp. President Paul Kruger, recognizing the potential for revenue, formalized this trade. He established a central market overseen by a Market Master, who received a hefty 10% commission. Imagine the scramble for that position! Market Square’s story truly begins on February 7, 1887. A tin shack, erected just west of where the City Hall now stands, served as the first official market. Market Master Stefanus Papenfus, a shrewd operator with connections to local politicians, opened for business. Within eight months, the market generated £50,000, of which Papenfus pocketed £5,000. This compared to a mere £250 received by the Gezondsheids Committee, tasked with running the burgeoning town. Kruger later grumbled that the Market Master earned more than the President himself. Market Square was a hive of activity. In 1888, a wood and iron market house appeared, containing offices which Papenfus cleverly leased back to the government, recouping the building costs in just three years. By 1889, it was clear the market had outgrown its humble beginnings. The Johannesburg Market Buildings Company Limited, led by Rhodes’ representative, Dr. Hans Sauer, took over, even absorbing the weighbridge operation. The Star newspaper described the scene in 1890: the market hall brimming with people of all races, the air filled with the sounds of harp, violin, and cornet. Even convicts breaking stones or being flogged formed part of this vibrant tableau. By 1891, a new brick building had sprung up on Market Square, solidifying its role as the heart of Johannesburg’s commercial and social life. Fast forward to 1904. A plague scare swept through the city after dead rats were discovered in the market building. The entire structure and its contents were burned in a dramatic midnight bonfire, a spectacle for thousands. The legal battles that followed between the market owners and the Municipality eventually led to the city buying the entire market concern in 1906. This purchase laid the groundwork for the move to Newtown, where the market found a new home in 1913, leaving behind Market Square, which continued to evolve and grow over the years, eventually becoming the place we now know as Beyers Naudé Square.