Are you a marketing professional attending a trade show in Cape Town? A medical professional speaking at a medical congress? Or a simple trade visitor looking to seal new deals?
Knowing where to park and how to manage logistics on site can save you hours of stress. This guide covers everything you need to know about CTICC parking in Cape Town, from hourly rates and garage locations to marshalling yard rules and exhibitor load-in procedures.
Save the stress and find out where you need to be below.
On-site Parking: Fast Facts
- The CTICC has over 1,400 secure visitor parking bays spread across three structured garages: P1, P3, and P5. These serve both CTICC 1 and CTICC 2, which are linked by a pedestrian skybridge.
- Parking is primarily charged at an hourly rate via pay-on-foot kiosks, with reserved bays also available through event organisers for exhibitors during major trade shows.
- The parking rates differ between P1 and P3 and P5, respectively.
- Exhibitors and delegates can also purchase tickets separately at the CTICC Parking Desk, which is only open for nine-hour periods.
- Accessible parking bays (with lift access) are located in P3 and P5 (basement levels), with additional accessible bays on all levels of P1, making the venue inclusive for disabled visitors.
- Marshalling yards at CTICC 1 and CTICC 2 enforce strict time limits: 1.5 hours for light vehicles and 3.5 hours for trucks.
- Booth Exhibits™ is a turnkey exhibition stand partner that helps clients coordinate CTICC parking, marshalling yard access, and logistics as part of full-service stand builds in Cape Town.
- Free bicycle parking is also available at the CTICC for those who prefer two wheels over four.
CTICC Parking: Directions And Times
Choosing which of the CTICC’s three parking garages to use depends on two things: where your event is being held, and the direction you are coming from.
Here is what the overall parking setup looks like:
- P1: Accessed via Walter Sisulu Avenue and Lower Long Street; primarily serves CTICC 1.
- P3: Basement garage of CTICC 1; accessed via Heerengracht Street and F.W. de Klerk Boulevard.
- P5: Basement garage of CTICC 2; accessed via F.W. de Klerk Boulevard.
- Marshalling yards: Two dedicated load-in areas at both CTICC 1 and CTICC 2 for exhibitors and contractors.
Parking is open seven days a week, typically aligned with event schedules, and is patrolled by on-site security to protect vehicles and stored materials. Not, however, that parking is usually on a first-come, first-served basis unless you have reserved a bay in advance.
Booth Exhibits™ frequently designs and builds exhibition stands at Cape Town International Convention Centre and plans parking and load-in logistics around CTICC’s operational patterns as part of every project.
We recommend that visitors and delegates arrive at least 30–45 minutes before large events to secure convenient bays, especially during peak trade shows like African Mining Indaba or major medical congresses.
Accessible And Disabled Parking
Accessible parking bays are available in P1, P3, and P5 parking garages. In P3 and P5, these bays are concentrated in the basement levels, with lift access to concourse levels and clear wayfinding to main entrances and registration areas.
Event organisers can, by prior arrangement, reserve blocks of bays for VIPs or large delegate groups. Visitors should check their event communication for any special parking instructions before driving to the venue.
CTICC Standard Parking: Rates, Payment, And Pre-Booking
The CTICC parking system operates on an hourly tariff that increases in set blocks. Free parking is offered for the first 30 minutes at CTICC P3 and P5, which is useful for quick drop-offs or registration pick-ups.
Guests collect a ticket on entry and pay at pay-on-foot kiosks before returning to their vehicle. Pay-on-foot machines accept “tap-and-go” credit or debit cards, as well as cash. The paid ticket is then used to exit the garage.
Current Rate Ranges
Tariffs vary slightly in price and time between garages and may be updated periodically. Below is a summary for visitors and exhibitors based on the most recently published data from the CTICC visitor parking page:
| Duration | P3 & P5 Tariff |
|---|---|
| 0–30 min | Free |
| 30 min – 1 hr 30 | R25 |
| 1 hr 30 – 2 hr 30 | R35 |
| 2 hr 30 – 3 hr 30 | R45 |
| 3 hr 30 – 4 hr 30 | R50 |
| 4 hr 30 – 5 hr 30 | R55 |
| 5 hr 30 – 6 hr 30 | R75 |
| 6 hr 30 – 8 hr | R90 |
| 8 hr – 12 hr | R100 |
| Lost card | R150 |
| 12 hr+ | +R15/hr |
| Duration | P1 Tariff |
|---|---|
| 0 – 1 hr | R15 |
| 1 hr – 2 hr 30 | R30 |
| 2 hr 30 – 3 hr 30 | R35 |
| 3 hr 30 – 4 hr 30 | R40 |
| 4 hr 30 – 5 hr 30 | R45 |
| 5 hr 30 – 6 hr 30 | R65 |
| 6 hr 30 – 7 hr 30 | R75 |
| 7 hr 30 – 8 hr 30 | R90 |
| 8 hr 30 – 12 hr | R105 |
| Lost card | R150 |
| 12 hr+ | +R15/hr |
Please note that exhibitors and delegates can purchase a single exit ticket instead for R65 flat.
Always verify current rates on the official CTICC website before your event date. Tariffs can shift depending on event type, day of the week, and time of year.
Pre-Booked And Subsidised Parking
Pre-booking parking is available through event organisers, and reserved bays are available at approximately R150 per bay, per day, by request.
For exhibitors and agencies working with Booth Exhibits™, we recommend discussing expected parking usage early in the planning process so that parking budgets and pre-booked options align with the show schedule. This is one of the many logistics items our team handles when planning an exhibition in Cape Town.
CTICC 1 vs CTICC 2: Locations and Access
The CTICC now operates as two interconnected buildings on Cape Town’s Foreshore, each with different parking access points and hall configurations. Understanding which building your event is in can determine which garage you should target.
CTICC 1
- Address: Convention Square, 1 Lower Long Street, Cape Town 8001
- Primary vehicle access: Walter Sisulu Avenue and Lower Long Street
- Closest garages: P1 and P3
CTICC 2
- Address: Corner of Heerengracht Street and Rua Bartholomeu Dias, Foreshore, Cape Town 8001
- Primary vehicle access: F.W. de Klerk Boulevard and Heerengracht Street
- Closest garage: P5
Wayfinding signs at garage entrances indicate “CTICC 1” or “CTICC 2” to guide visitors and exhibitors.
Exhibitor Marshalling Yards, Load-In, And Logistics
Standard visitor parking bays are not designed for trucks carrying exhibition crates and stand components. Instead, exhibitors and contractors use dedicated marshalling yards at both CTICC 1 and CTICC 2 for loading and offloading.
Parking bays in the marshalling yards are also available for reservation at a cost of R350 per bay, per day.
Time Windows
Both marshalling yards operate strict time limits to keep logistics flowing:
| Vehicle Type | Maximum Time Allowed |
|---|---|
| Light vehicles | 1.5 hours |
| Trucks | 3.5 hours |
Vehicles that overstay or are left unattended may be clamped and subject to fees. Drivers should remain with their vehicles during load-in at all times.
CTICC Marshalling Yard Parking Costs
Tariffs for the CTICC 1 and CTICC 2 marshalling yards are the same and differ by vehicle class and time only:
| Vehicle Class | Time | Tariff |
|---|---|---|
| Light vehicle | 0 – 1 hr 30 | Free |
| Truck | 0 – 3 hr 30 | Free |
| Light vehicle | 1 hr 30 – 2 hr 30 | R100 |
| Light vehicle | 2 hr 30 – 3 hr 30 | R150 |
| Either | 3 hr 30 – 4 hr 30 | R250 |
| Either | 4 hr 30 – 5 hr 30 | R300 |
| Either | 5 hr 30 – 6 hr 30 | R350 |
| Either | 6 hr 30 – 7 hr | R400 |
| Either | 7 hr – 8 hr | R450 |
| Either | 8 hr – 24 hr | R500 |
| Either | Overnight | R1000 |
| Either | Lost Card | R500 |
In addition, exhibitors can hire forklifts, cherry pickers, and scissor lifts for an added fee at the marshalling yards.
CTICC 1 Marshalling Yard
The CTICC 1 marshalling yard is roughly 5,000 m² and is situated adjacent to the exhibition halls. Several halls have large service doors (approximately 7.2 m wide × 5.3 m high), with Hall 4B offering an even larger opening (roughly 7.98 m × 5.90 m) to accommodate oversize freight. This direct access makes CTICC 1 the preferred choice for heavy or complex builds.
Access the CTICC 1 marshalling yard by registering your vehicle at the security gate, where your driver’s licence will be captured. Park at P1 or P3 when offloading is complete.
CTICC 2 Marshalling Yard
The CTICC 2 marshalling yard is positioned opposite its exhibition halls. Only Hall 7 has direct yard access. Materials for Halls 5 and 6 must be staged behind the halls and moved in, adding an extra logistical step that exhibitors need to plan for. A staging area is available to assist.
Access the CTICC 2 marshalling yard via FW de Klerk Boulevard, after which your vehicle will be registered and your driver’s licence scanned. Exhibitors then proceed to offloading and then onto parking in P5 or one of the other two if P5 is full.
Registration And Compliance
Exhibitors must pre-register vehicles, book a time slot, and comply with CTICC safety rules. Contractors are also required to undergo a safety induction before using the yard. This process is particularly important for international shows with heavy build traffic, where a variety of contractors and freight forwarders converge on the venue simultaneously.
All three parking garages (P1, P3, P5) have a height restriction of 2.1 metres. If your stand components or delivery vehicle exceed that height, they must enter via the service doors and marshalling yards.
Exhibitor Parking During Event Days
Once the build is complete and show days begin, exhibitors still need predictable, convenient parking. Here is how it works.
Exhibitor parking tickets can be purchased at the CTICC parking desk, which is typically set up inside or near the exhibition area on show days. Staff at the desk can process payments by cash or card and validate pre-purchased tickets.
VIP parking directly beside the venue is generally not available. However, reserved zones or closest bays can sometimes be secured at a premium cost (approximately R150 per bay per day), subject to CTICC approval. To request reserved bays, exhibitors should contact the CTICC event executive well in advance.
Booth Exhibits coordinates build schedules, marshalling yard access, and exhibitor parking guidance for every client project, making the entire process from setup to show day as seamless as possible.
Other Parking Solutions For CTICC
If you don’t feel like parking at the CTICC itself or if the garages are too full, you can consider parking at a few other places near the venue:
Virgin Active Foreshore
Address: 17 Rua Bartholomeu Dias Plain, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8000
Virgin Active members can make use of the multi-story parking garage at Virgin Active Foreshore just around the corner from CTICC 2. The garage entrance is on DF Malan Street, just next to the Netcare Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital.
Virgin Active members may be entitled to free undercover parking at this garage for a certain time limit when validating their membership. Please check with the branch for pricing and layout.
Dubhe Parking (Hertzog Boulevard/DF Malan Street)
Address: 53 Hertzog Blvd, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8000
Dubhe Parking is a small car park down the road from Virgin Active Foreshore, just south of CTICC 2. The parking bays are uncovered and the pricing structure is as follows:
| Duration | Tariff |
|---|---|
| 0 – 1 hr | R20 |
| 1 – 2 hrs | R35 |
| 2 – 3 hrs | R50 |
| 3 – 4 hrs | R65 |
| 4 – 5 hrs | R80 |
| 5 – 6 hrs | R95 |
| 6 – 7 hrs | R110 |
| 7 – 8 hrs | R125 |
The Capetonian
Address: 7 Roggebaai Square, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8000
The Capetonian is a nearby hotel with a small open parking lot in front of its lobby. It’s very close to CTICC 1, which is on the other side of Walter Sisulu Avenue.
The pricing structure is as follows:
| Duration | Tariff |
|---|---|
| 0 – 1 hr | R15 |
| 1 – 2 hrs | R30 |
| 2 – 3 hrs | R45 |
| 3 – 4 hrs | R60 |
| 4 – 5 hrs | R75 |
| 5 – 6 hrs | R90 |
| 6 – 8 hrs | R150 |
| 8 – 10 hrs | R180 |
| 10 – 12 hrs | R210 |
| 12 – 14 hrs | R250 |
CTICC Parking And How Booth Exhibits™ Helps
The CTICC publishes a detailed Parking and Logistics Manual covering tariffs, marshalling yard procedures, load-in heights, and safety rules for both CTICC 1 and CTICC 2. This manual is usually available as a downloadable PDF via the official CTICC website or provided directly to confirmed exhibitors by event organisers or PCOs.
At Booth Exhibits™, we integrate these guidelines into our turnkey project management process. That means scheduling deliveries to align with marshalling yard time slots, coordinating with freight forwarders on vehicle heights, and arranging on-site installation teams who have completed safety inductions. If you are curious about how this fits into the broader stand-building process, our guide on how to build an exhibition stand walks through every phase.
As an exhibitor or trade visitor, the CTICC clearly offers a variety of parking solutions fit for any visit or build-up scenario. Plan your attendance in advance using the information above, and reap the rewards in time saved and your mind put at ease.
How much is parking at the CTICC?
Parking at the CTICC costs R15 for the first hour at the P1 garage and R25 for the first hour after a free 30 minute window at garages P3 and P5.
What is the best parking option for a first-time visitor to CTICC in Cape Town?
First-time visitors attending a conference at CTICC 1 should follow signs to P1 or P3, while those looking for CTICC 2 should follow Heerengracht Street and Rua Bartholomeu Dias to P5.
Can I leave my car overnight in CTICC parking?
Overnight parking is permitted at the CTICC, although the longer you leave your vehicle, the higher your applicable charge.
Is there public transport access if I don’t want to park at CTICC?
The CTICC is within walking distance of the Cape Town railway station and major MyCiTi bus routes along Heerengracht and Adderley Street. Ride-hailing services are also available.
Are there height restrictions I should know about before driving into CTICC garages?
All three structured garages (P1, P3, and P5) enforce a height restriction of 2.1 metres. Any vehicle taller than 2.1 metres must use the marshalling yard service doors instead.
