Cape Town CBD business confidence hits record high as entrepreneurs back city’s growth
BUSINESS confidence among Cape Town CBD entrepreneurs has reached an all-time high, with 97.8% of surveyed business owners reporting positive sentiment in Q4 2025 — the strongest reading since the post-Covid recovery period.
The figures, drawn from the Cape Town Central City Improvement District’s (CCID) latest Business Confidence Survey of 297 business owners, show confidence climbed steadily through the second half of 2025, up from 96.2% in Q3. More than 86% of respondents said overall business conditions improved over the past year, while 86.9% expected their businesses to grow in 2026.
CCID CEO Tasso Evangelinos attributed the sentiment to a resilient entrepreneurial culture taking root in the inner city. “Businesses in town continue to demonstrate resilience, innovating and reimagining themselves to remain relevant — and they’re confident about the year ahead,” he said.
The survey points to small business owners as a key driver of the CBD’s economic momentum. Colette MacLennan, owner of Bree Street eatery The General Store, has grown her team from four to 12 employees over a decade and recently expanded by opening a production kitchen on Roeland Street to scale her catering operation. “No day is ever the same, but our offering of fresh, healthy meals is consistent,” she said.
Richard Lemkus, whose family sneaker retail business dates back to 1935, is also investing in the CBD’s future, converting a St Georges Mall kiosk into a new food concept, Jack’s Burgers. “We believe in the future of the CBD — not just as a business location, but as a cultural and creative hub,” Lemkus said, noting nearby developments including the Mutual Building redevelopment and the planned Golden Acre overhaul as signals of broader momentum.
Despite ongoing challenges around competition, operational pressures and access to finance, 23.4% of surveyed business owners said they planned to introduce new products or services in the year ahead — a sign that adaptation rather than retrenchment is the dominant response.
Both MacLennan and Lemkus credited the CCID’s visible security presence, urban management and street maintenance as foundational to their ability to operate and invest. “The CCID plays an important role in creating a functional foundation for businesses like ours,” said Lemkus.
With record confidence levels and active investment from established players, Cape Town’s CBD is entering 2026 with its strongest entrepreneurial outlook in years.
