The Site
For years, there has been an informal car wash operating in the open parking bays on Ntshekisa Road at the entrance to New Brighton. The individuals working there had no formal arrangement with the municipality to use the space, nor was the site zoned or serviced for such activity. They had an informal agreement with a neighbouring property to use a garden hose, storeroom, and toilet. The car wash was popular and busy, with customers often queuing on Saturday afternoons for the R20 wash, dry, and vacuum service.
The location was well-suited for a car wash. Ntshekisa Road is the main thoroughfare into New Brighton, providing excellent exposure, ample parking, and easy access. Additionally, there was a grassy open area next to the site where clients could wait while their cars were being washed. From a business perspective, it made sense to be there.
The Municipality
This project was commissioned by the Nelson Mandela Metropole Municipality under the leadership of the mayor, as part of a broader initiative to formalize this and other street businesses. The plan included formalizing land tenure, organizing and registering businesses, and promoting the construction of permanent facilities. Importantly, the municipality suggested that these formalizations should take place in the locations where businesses already exist. In this case, the car wash operates within a road reserve on municipal property.
‘Civicness’
It is essential that projects like this become civic structures, serving as both urban landmarks and symbols for the promotion of small-scale street businesses. The car wash is intentionally large, scaled to match its surroundings—the police station, the estates division buildings, billboards, and the wide, busy Ntshekisa Road. Its size and presence also complement the long view of New Brighton along this street. While it functions as a car wash, it also acts as an announcement at the entrance to New Brighton, already drawing attention. New informal car washes have since appeared further down the road, with one even branding itself as “The Real Carwash.”
Streetwise Business
This project reflects a positive gesture by the municipality, recognizing the value of existing street-edge businesses and unlocking the potential of underutilized public spaces, such as excessive road reserves and unused rail reserves. It encourages an environment that maximizes the use of street edges. The lessons learned from this micro-level intervention can inform broader urban planning strategies across the city.
noh ARCHITECTS 