Business confidence amongst Cape Town CBD entrepreneurs continued to grow in 2025, reaching an all-time high of 97,8 % in Q4, with business owners expecting good trading conditions in 2026.
The latest Business Confidence Survey done by the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID) in the last quarter of 2025 revealed the highest level of confidence among entrepreneurs since the post-Covid-19 recovery period.
Tasso Evangelinos, CEO of the CCID, says entrepreneurial energy in the Central City is paying off. “Businesses in town continue to demonstrate resilience, innovating and reimagining themselves to remain relevant – and they’re confident about the year ahead.”
Most of the 297 business owners surveyed – 86.2 % – reported that overall business conditions improved over the past year, while 86.9 % expected their businesses to grow in 2026.
“This reflects their confidence in the CBD’s capacity for growth and stability,” says Evangelinos.
FUELLING GROWTH
This growing optimism is being driven in no small part by dynamic small business owners who are playing a pivotal role in reshaping the inner city’s economic landscape.
Colette Maclennan, owner of the eatery The General Store in Bree Street, says that her business is thriving. “We started as a team of four and now, after 10 years, there are 12 of us,” Maclennan says. She believes the secret to their success is the venue’s proximity to their loyal customer base. “No day is ever the same, but our offering of fresh, healthy meals is consistent,” she says.
THE CITY CENTRE DRAWCARD
For business owners like Maclennan, the buzz of “town” is irresistible. “I just knew the CBD was the right market for what I wanted for The General Store,” she comments.
Richard Lemkus, owner of iconic sneaker store Lemkus (formerly Jack Lemkus, which dates to 1935), says doing business in town is multidimensional. “We believe in the future of the CBD,” he asserts, “not just as a business location, but as a cultural and creative hub.”
Lemkus believes momentum is building, along with an openness to new ideas. “People are looking for authentic experiences and there’s space to deliver those in a way that is both world-class and rooted in Cape Town,” he says.
ROOM TO GROW
Successful businesses are often defined by their ability to innovate and expand – and in the inner city this drive for growth is clearly on display.
In the Q4 2025 Business Confidence Index, business owners said they were responding to challenges, including competition, operational pressures and difficulty in accessing finance, by continuing to adapt: 23.4 % of business owners said they would be introducing new products or services to their business offering.
Maclennan and Lemkus are among them. After a decade of working from her tiny premises, Maclennan has expanded by opening a production kitchen in Roeland Street to expand her catering service, while Lemkus has renovated a St Georges Mall food kiosk outside his store to create Jack’s Burgers. “With all the investment happening nearby – like the redevelopment of The Mutual Building, the Adderley Street walkway and the upcoming development of the Golden Acre – we wanted to contribute to this momentum.”
A THRIVING CBD
Many CBD business owners acknowledge the huge role played by the CCID in promoting a secure, clean and desirable city centre. “They’re a supportive and safe presence for my business, my employees and my customers,” asserts Maclennan.
Lemkus agrees. “The CCID plays an important role in creating a functional foundation for businesses like ours by ensuring clean streets, visible security and responsive urban management. This makes it easier for us to focus on building meaningful experiences.
“We’re constantly thinking about how our spaces interact with the surrounding city – how they open up to the street, how they invite people in, how they support a sense of place … we want to be part of the flow of the city, not separate from it.”
With this strong optimism reflected in the CCID’s index, the future bodes well for CBD entrepreneurs poised to benefit from the CBD’s resilient and stable business environment.
IMAGES: The General Store, Lemkus
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