Root44 Market in Stellenbosch Shuts Down Due to Ongoing Dispute with Municipality

The Root44 Market, a beloved attraction in the winelands, has closed its doors permanently due to a long-standing dispute with the Stellenbosch Municipality. The market, which was launched in 2012, has been fighting for permanent status and liquor sales rights for years.

The market's management blames years of regulatory uncertainty as the cause of the closure. They claim that restrictive operating conditions and repeated planning delays have made it unsustainable to continue operations. But what is really behind the dispute with the Stellenbosch Municipality?

The Root44 Market, located on the Audacia farm along the R44, was granted a temporary five-year land-use for the operation in 2009. However, they only opened the wine emporium in 2020, more than a decade later. As such, the Stellenbosch Municipality only granted a temporary five-year land-use for the operation.

In 2017, Root44 Market applied for permanent status, and a planning tribunal approved the application on one condition: that the site could only operate as a wine emporium or a market, not both simultaneously. The city's argument was that combined operations would increase traffic significantly in the area.

However, Root44 Market owners decided to rebuild the venue during the COVID-19 lockdown. They transformed temporary food trucks with hay bales into large, permanent structures. But the owners wanted broader liquor sales rights, which the Stellenbosch authorities had initially granted with a Temporary Occupancy Certificate in 2021.

The owners argue that restricted liquor sales are hurting the venue's broader touristic appeal. The Stellenbosch Municipality, on the other hand, claims that the owners are selective in their approach and have not followed the necessary procedures.

The dispute has been ongoing for years, with the Stellenbosch Municipality requesting an updated Traffic Impact Assessment in 2023. The case is now set to be decided in a court case between both parties. The owners hope that future development will include comprehensive tourism and hospitality frameworks and a planning framework that provides certainty for future operators.

The property housing the Root44 Market and its wine emporium is currently for sale. The listing appeared back in July 2025.