Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(S.Afr.) a small mobile canteen catering for workers at their place of work.

c.1929		S. Black in Three Plays (1984) 99: I rader go by die cafe der move-on for er oulap coffee en er Scots bun [DSAE].
1936		A.G. Thompson in Afr. Observer 4:4 59: In a corner of the compound [...] is a ‘Cafe de move on’ from which bread and lemonade can be obtained [DSAE].
1950		City of East London Official Guide 73: The Windmill Snack Bar, cafe-de-move-on at Eastern Beach, serves grills and coffee until 2 am.
1952		B. Davidson Report on Southern Afr. 132: The cafe de move-on is necessary to the workers of Moroka [...] if they are not to go without food throughout the day, or are to bring their daily meal with them. [Ibid.] 133: The municipal authorities ... declared war on the cafes de move-on, and said that these little coffee-carts must vanish from the streets ... The authorities began prosecuting the owners of cafes de move-on who had failed to move on.
1981		C. Greyvenstein Fighters 63: The human rejects who skulked around the Durban Docks seldom went hungry while Barney Malone had his ‘Cafe-de- Move-On’ on the Esplanade.
1996, 1997		MTN, Whalecoast Marketing & GardeNet Whalecoast.com 🌐 The day will be concluded with a ‘Cafe-de-move-on’, starting at Die Lappiesbaai for hors d’oeuvres, the Bellevue Inn for the main course and the Albatros Restaurant for dessert, liqueurs and a prize draw.
2001		D. Wylie Starving on a Full Stomach 110: [...] ‘cafe de move on’ carts (vendors selling tea, coffee, and cakes).
2004		Eastern Cape Dispatch 16 Jan. 🌐 A bloke who evidently had lots of fun in his salad days remembers Bob’s Cafe de Move On. This eatery consisted of a caravan from which the wheels had been removed. It had parked itself where the old Egg Circle used to be. And there it stood from 1947 for over 25 years.