A cup of artisan coffee in one hand, and a fresh, flaky pastry in the other, and a heavenly array of produce spread out before you. That’s the way to start your weekend. New markets have sprouted up all over the country in the past year. To help you find your way to organic ice cream and home-baked pie nirvana, we’ve put together a list of some of our favourite markets around the county. Whether you’re after seasonal fruit and veggies, gluten-free cakes, raw chocolate or your very own wormery, you’ll find it at one of these fabulous markets.

Johannesburg

Blubird Whole Food Market
This Sandton market has many delicious international options, including Polish, Lebanese, Indian, Swiss, Turkish and Italian delicacies.

Bryanston Organic and Natural Market
At Joburg’s first outdoor organic market you’ll find organically-produced fruit and vegetable stalls stand alongside clothes made from natural fibres, locally roasted coffee, naturally fermented breads, sauces and preserves, baked goods, raw chocolate, sauces and ice creams.

The Farmers’ Market at Bamboo
This vibrant rooftop market stocks succulent vegetables and free range eggs, piles of olives, handmade cheeses, sausages, raw honey, biltong, bread, coffee and vegetables. It will inspire your home cooking.

Jozi Food Market
A relaxed, casual outdoor market in the midst of Joburg’s hustle and bustle. Pick up everything from organic veggies and potted herbs to gluten-free cakes, fresh granola and Green Bean coffees.

Market on Main
This city-slicker market is the place for Ethiopian coffee, organic veggies, scrumptious cup cakes and grow-your-own gourmet mushroom kits.

Neighbourgoods Market
Sister to Cape Town’s Neighbourhood Goods Market, this Sunday market is a great place to pick up seasonal fruit and veggies from the Free State, delicious mini Mediterranean quiches, meat from Braeside butchery in Parkhurst and beers from Darling Brewery.

Rosebank Rooftop Market
A hectic, colourful flea market in the rooftop car park at Rosebank shopping mall with around 600 stalls with clothing, arts and crafts, carvings and jewellery.

Pretoria

The Green Market
This open-air market offers organic vegetables, free-range eggs and vegan treats. Pick up a solar oven, a wormery or some vintage kitchenware.

Hazel Food Market
Fashionista foodies frequent this market for fabulous artisan breads, herb-laden pâtés, organic vegetables, Mediterranean-style pickles, cherry nougat and even sexy gingerbread ladies in iced purple bikinis.

Irene Village Market
Situated in the grounds of the Smuts House Museum, pick up mocca pavlovas, homemade nougat, gluten-free cakes, Karoo lamb, artisan breads and organic cheeses.

Pretoria Boeremark
Here you’ll find many farmers selling their organically grown products or the finest meat directly to shoppers. Discover the finest artisan cheese, best boerewors, traditional fare like melkkos or crackling as well as a selection of Italian breads.

KZN

Barbz Market
Relishes, jams, pickles, home-made cookies, fresh organic vegetables, local cheeses and sausages are all sourced from local producers.

Dargle Valley Market
Some of KZN’s best produce comes from the Dargle Valley and this market has plenty: fruit and veg, free-range hen and duck eggs, free-range chicken and duck, homemade preserves, cakes and bakes, preservative-free dairy products and indigenous plants.

The Food Market
Pick up delicious fudge, wild boarand game meat products, quality pork products and addictive baked German specialities.

Karkloof Farmer’s Market
Buy fruit and veggies, herbs, cheeses and yoghurt directly from local producers and farmers, along with baked goodies, preserves, pickles and more.

The Litchi Orchard
You’ll find everything from liver paté, falafels, natural salts, farm butter and an array of cheeses (including SA produced buffalo mozzarella) to local macadamia nuts and honey, Cindy Valayadam’s fresh produce, legendary chutneys and pickles plus delicious sauces from Catch Gourmet.

Shongweni Farmers’ Market
Pick up fresh farm eggs, butter and milk to ducks and foie gras, sausages and cold meats, organic cuts and venison plus a whole array of artisan breads and fine French pastries at this established market.

Umhlanga Farmers’ Market
Pick up pantry staples like fresh fruit, double yolk eggs, dried fruit, nuts, vegetables and freshly cut herbs and flowers, along with speciality items like flavoured olives, Drakensberg trout, Scotch pies, haggis and black and white puddings.

Cape Town

Bay Harbour (Hout Bay)
An all weekend affair. Pop in for a superb breakfast and stay for the live music and nine draught beers on tap (including Darling Slow).

The Blue Bird Garage Food and Goods Market
There’s a low-key unpretentious vibe in this warehouse space where you can catch the regular line-up of local bands and artisan slow beer on tap. A variety of robust grub from potjiekos and burgers to Lebanese and Thai dishes means it is a good night out too.

The Blue Bird at Baxter
Set under the trees in the garden of The Baxter Theatre, this market has the same relaxed unpretentious vibe as its sister market in Muizenberg. There’s craft beer on tap and don’t miss ice cream from The Creamery.

Bo-Kaap Heritage Food and craft market
Traditional Cape Malay foods and crafts made by members of this historic community is the speciality of this small but vibrant market. The twice-monthly market features the same stalls but alternates venues between popular gallery and coffee shop Haas and the original market venue.

City Bowl Market on Hope
Organic fruit and vegetables are consistently of excellent quality and lower than most prices and there are all the basics such as good quality bread, free-range eggs and cheese.

Earth Fair Food Market
Pick up stone-ground flour bread, free-range meats, hand-crafted farm cheese and fresh seafood at this Tokai market.

Earth Fair at St George’s Mall
This small sister market to the Tokai Earth Fair offers city slickers empanadas, falafels and homemade pies as well as artisan charcuterie from Meat me Here or pickles from Oded’s Kitchen.

Gaia Food Market
A peaceful community atmosphere prevails at this speciality food market where only plant-based foods are sold.

Neighbourgoods Market
You might have to elbow a few trendy youngsters out of the way to get your hands on one of the artisan breads in the trailer, or for a poached egg rosti from Luke Dale Roberts’s stall, but it remains one of the best ways to spend a Saturday morning of hipster watching and delicious nosh in the Mother City.

Nitida Degustazione Farmers Market
A delicious farm breakfast (think warm roosterkoek with bacon and cheese) and large lawns are the main attraction for families who come to picnic at this monthly wine farm gathering.

Porters Estate Produce Market
The magnificent setting under the trees in Tokai Forest is big draw card for this family-oriented outdoor market. There’s an astounding selection of local cheeses as well as honey, naturally produced pantry goods.

Rondebosch Village Market
This is a very small community market that specialises in a wide variety of organic and biodynamic fresh produce.

School Yard Market
A lovely community market. Although there are some artisan products (cheese, charcuterie and breads) there are also plenty of old-fashioned home baked goods (delicious cupcakes and tarts) and preserves (pantry staples like chutneys and unusual jams) on display.

Willowbridge Slow Market
One of the largest and best established ethical markets in the Cape Town area with plenty of parking and an infectious suburban bazaar atmosphere.

Village Market @ Cape Quarter
Plenty of artisan goods are available at this city market.

Camphill Village Market
Camphill residents show off and sell their wares alongside other purveyors of homemade, wholesome food and drink.

Overberg

Greyton Morning Market
This popular morning market is the focal point of social life in Greyton and aims to provide quality products ranging from fresh, gourmet produce, preserves, cakes, locally made cheeses and pestos to homemade lemon juice and lemon curd as well as a variety of freshly baked breads and pies.

Kleinmond Fresh Market
Navigate your way through an amazing selection of homemade produce such as free-range chicken pies, fresh crusty loaves of bread, divine pancakes, fish cakes, pickled calamari and cupcakes in this converted shed at the lower end of vibey Harbour Road.

Stanford Market
Work up an appetite by nosing around tables loaded with just-harvested organically grown seasonal vegetables, ready-made meals, wheat-free tarts, a selection of freshly baked breads, pâtés, smoked fish and a variety of home-made cheeses such as halloumi, pecorino, mozzarella and creamy ricotta.

Winelands

Blaauwklippen Family Market
This market has a strong continental feel. There’s German meatloaf and bockwurst, Dutch stroopwafels and fresh fruit and vegetables, samoosas, pies and koeksisters. Buy Morroccan spiced lemons and Darling Brew slow beer too.

The Market Place
In addition to the beautiful garden setting on the bank of the Lourens River, it is the array of home-made wares available that makes the market so alluring.

Slaley
A large Bedouin-style cover adds to the old-style market feel in a place you can shop for gourmet ingredients and food items.

Slow Food Stellenbosch Fresh Goods Market
Situated at Oude Libertas, this fresh goods and craft market is an institution on the Saturday morning Stellenbosch social calendar.

Strand Farmers Market
The fresh produce – still dirt encrusted from the morning’s harvesting – is delivered specially for the event while the delicious pancakes and other sweet treats are as good as your grandmother made them.

Franschhoek Farmers Market
Besides the fresh fruit and veggies available, there are olives (from a Mediterranean medley with feta and sundried tomatoes and green Spanish olives with lemon and herbs), crisps in unusual flavours such as wasabi and tangy mustard, and seville orange marmalade.

Lazy Days Market at Laborie
Overlooked by the mountainside vineyards, this market sells everything from home-blended braai salts to shiitake mushrooms.

West Coast

Short Street Food & Wine Market
Look out for cured olives, charcuterie, home-bakes and cheese.

Funky Fresh Market
Indulge in delicious home-made treats and bakery goods, as well as breakfast and beverages.

Karoo

Prince Albert Saturday Market
This is the community meeting ground every Saturday, where people get together to nibble on French tartlets, bacon and egg, sweet pot bread, chocolate pudding with custard, and jaffels with curry mince.

By Katharine Jacobs and Emma-Kate Liebenberg