When it opened in the 1970s in an old fruit and vegetable market in central Johannesburg, the Market Theatre became a bold outpost against apartheid. Founded just days after the 1976 Soweto uprising — when youth protested Afrikaans-language instruction and the crackdown left hundreds dead — the theater quickly became central to “the Struggle,” staging plays that the apartheid censors deemed subversive.
Its integrated audiences, with Black and white South Africans mingling, were unprecedented in a city where the law segregated people and spaces. The theater’s founders, Barney Simon and Mannie Manim, envisioned an open stage despite skepticism. Actor John Kani recalled doubting their plan — “I thought these two whities were nuts” — but later said his career was made on that stage.
Over fifty years the Market produced internationally renowned works: Woza Albert; Sophiatown; Sizwe Banzi is Dead; and the hit musical Sarafina, about the Soweto uprising, written by Hugh Masekela and later staged on Broadway and adapted into a film starring Whoopi Goldberg. The company helped spread the anti-apartheid message at home and abroad while launching careers for artists like Kani and fostering collaborations with playwrights such as Athol Fugard.
The theater often faced raids and censorship. Officials would sometimes interrupt performances to enforce bans, turning censorship itself into a kind of second act. Actors and audiences were at risk; the company endured tense moments when police intervened and when some white patrons walked out in anger at the plays’ messages.
Directors found creative ways to navigate segregation laws. For example, the theater’s bar was sold for one rand and made privately owned so Black audience members could legally use that space, even though stepping a meter into the foyer could render them illegal under apartheid statutes. Inside, there were moments when race lines blurred: “There was no black, there was no white,” recalled director Arthur Molepe, reflecting on the early camaraderie among company members.
Now marking its 50th anniversary, the Market continues to stage work that addresses both history and contemporary South African life. Recent productions revisit apartheid-era stories — director Molepe staged a new production of Marabi in February 2026, following a Black family’s forced removal under segregation laws — and younger audiences, including many born after apartheid, responded with strong applause and standing ovations.
Artists born into a free South Africa, like lead actress Gabisile Tshabalala, 35, say theater remains vital. “Theater is extremely important for young South Africans….especially as Black people…we get to tell our stories,” she said.
Under current artistic director Greg Homann, the Market aims to “tell the South African story” in each era: in the 1980s that meant the fight against apartheid; today it includes the challenges of a young democracy. Issues such as access to education, corruption, and gender-based violence feature onstage as the theater seeks to provoke thought and conversation.
Half a century on, the Market Theatre stands as both a historical symbol of resistance and a living platform for South Africans to examine their past and present, hoping to continue fostering challenging, necessary theater for years to come.