Chinatown market to accommodate 80 traders
The City of Windhoek expects to complete infrastructure preparations at the Chinatown Market in November 2026, at an estimated cost of N$1.8 million, accommodating approximately 80 informal traders at the facility. The project forms part of the municipality's efforts to formalise informal trading activities, improve trading conditions and create more organised, safe and accessible spaces for small businesses across the capital.
Speaking during the City of Windhoek's 10th ordinary council meeting on Thursday(29 October), Sakarias Uunona Mayor of Windhoek said cleaning of the Chinatown Market site and the removal of rubble had been completed. However, additional infrastructure work is still required before traders can fully utilise the facility. "Registration and relocation arrangements are currently underway for traders operating along the B1 Road corridor" said Uunona. The remaining work includes the importation, placement and compaction of gravel in layers of at least 150 millimetres to prepare the site for trading activities.
The municipality expects the filling and compaction works to be completed during November, with an estimated expenditure of N$1.8 million. Once completed, the market will have the capacity to accommodate approximately 80 traders, providing them with a designated space from which to conduct their businesses. The development comes as the municipality continues to implement measures aimed at regulating and formalising informal trading across Windhoek. "Those initiatives demonstrate council's commitment to creating orderly, safe, and economically viable trading environment while supporting small business and promoting inclusive economic growth in the city of Windhoek" he said.
As part of these efforts, traders operating at the Chinatown Market were profiled and registered on 14 and 15 October 2026. Registration and relocation arrangements are also under way for traders operating along the B1 Road corridor.
The completion of the Chinatown Market infrastructure is therefore expected to mark a further step in the city's efforts to provide designated trading facilities for informal traders.
