Informal Street Traders Research Articles

Investigating the resilience and challenges of informal street traders in South Africa's tourism sector: a focus on migrant entrepreneurship

ABSTRACT Selling products and services to tourists is often the main or sole source of income for local and migrant informal traders participating in the tourism sector in developing countries. However, they are vulnerable to exogenous shocks, with the COVID-19 pandemic a recent example. During COVID-19, international travel and domestic movement bans affected the livelihoods of many local and migrant informal traders, with the absence of government support exacerbating the plight of migrant traders in particular. This study provides valuable insights into the challenges faced by informal traders in three of South Africa’s main tourist cities against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a concurrent mixed-methods approach, the study explores how migrant and non-migrant entrepreneurs navigated the crisis. This research not only highlights the critical role of resilience and other survival strategies for especially migrant traders but also offers practical implications for the recognition of their resilience and the contribution of both local and migrant traders to job creation withing the realms of the informal tourism sector. This study extends resilience theory by applying it within the socio-economic context of the tourism sector of an important migration destination on the African continent.

Black Women’s Lived Experiences of Informal Street Trading in East London, South Africa

The study sought to evaluate women’s lived experiences of informal street trading in East London with specific reference to the coping strategies they adopt and their challenges within the industry. A qualitative method was used, adopting a case study design. Interviews were conducted with fourteen street trader women participants who were purposefully selected because of the artefacts they displayed for sale. Data collected through semi-structured interviews were thematically analysed. The results revealed that the harsh street-trading environment forced the women traders to adopt some coping strategies, for example, using the history behind the artefacts they were selling in order to encourage customers to buy, customer care, always displaying a smile to their customers, and bargaining with the customer. The study also emerged from the study that the women were experiencing challenges with their trade, including competition, bad weather, price drops, and high transport costs. The study contributes to an improved understanding of the life realities faced by black rural women informal street traders in East London.

Informal sector counterpower in Harare, Zimbabwe

AbstractAfrican city governments have generally been harsh on the informal sector. Informal traders are considered a nuisance and unworthy of government support and are subjected to severe regulations and police harassment. The paper frames this anti-informal-sector approach in Harare, Zimbabwe, as sovereign power and the informal traders’ resistance as counterpower (after Foucault). We use the sustainable livelihoods approach (SLA. to analyze their response to sovereign power. Our interviews with 50 informal street traders and 20 key informants revealed that this counterpower takes the form of good business practices, building on urban–rural linkages and disobeying the current bylaws. The traders also actively avoid damage from police raids by being mobile, not displaying all their goods, setting out goods on a sheet for quick removal when threatened, storing goods elsewhere, and paying bribes for information about police activity. Our findings contradict the view of the informal sector traders as helpless victims of government brutality.

Contributions and challenges of informal traders in local economic development

Unemployment, poverty, and lack of income contributed to the rising number of people participating in informal trading (Zhanda et al., 2022). Informal street traders are faced with many challenges, namely, unavailability of funds, support from the government, infrastructure, lack of management skills, and marketing skills (Connor & Charway, 2020; Manzana, 2019). Hence, this research investigates the contributions and challenges of informal traders in local economic development in Thulamela municipality. The research was quantitative in nature and used a self-administered questionnaire to collect data. The questionnaires were hand-delivered to the respondents. Probability sampling techniques, specifically, cluster sampling was used to sample 100 Thulamela municipality informal traders. A 96 percent response rate was achieved in this research. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the collected data. The study found that informal street traders experienced lack of financial assistance from government, lack of management skills, and lack of marketing skills. However, the research established that the informal sector creates job opportunities, income source, and lead to poverty reduction. Consequently, it is recommended that government and private sector should initiative strategies to support informal traders. Informal traders should strive towards formalizing their business to access support offered by government and private sector.

Factors associated with adherence to treatment in patients with open angle glaucoma in Sierra Leone, West Africa: patient demographics and questionnaire.

Glaucoma is a significant cause of blindness worldwide. It is more common, presents earlier and is more aggressive in those of African descent. Non-adherence and poor knowledge of glaucoma is a significant barrier to treatment and has been associated with low health literacy. We aim to establish the factors contributing to late presentation, treatment non-adherence and disease progression in glaucoma patients in Sierra Leone. This will help better understand the challenges eye services face, highlight fields requiring development in patient-clinician interaction and identify areas or specific vulnerable patient groups in which resources should be focused. Prospective, consecutive recruitment of 120 patients with POAG attending the Lowell and Ruth Gess Eye Hospital and the Connaught Government Teaching Hospital, Freetown, Sierra Leone between February and April 2020. Data were collected from 3 sources: (1) review of clinical notes since first attendance, (2) semi-structured interviews and (3) assessment of study participant's drop instillation technique using a structured checklist. Descriptive statistics was performed for demographic data and other relevant data points. Logistic regression was used for analysis of target variables. The average age was 62years with more males (52.6%). Agricultural workers and informal street traders represented 13.2% of participants' occupation. 25.8% of participants had no formal school, and 47.4% had either a degree or a diploma. This is out of proportion with the general population and may represent a hidden demographic of glaucoma patients. Drop instillation technique was successful in 52% of study participants. Notable responses to the questionnaire were 30% of patients did not know the name of their eye condition and 22% had no knowledge of glaucoma. Investment in a wide-ranging and robust screening programme and public health campaigns targeting these vulnerable groups and high-risk individuals, for example with a positive family history, alongside improved patient education and staff training is required to improve glaucoma care. Support from government, international organisations and the private sector is required to reduce the economic burden of blindness in Sierra Leone.

Assessing the challenges faced by informal street traders operating in Durban, South Africa

Purpose: The informal sector consists of all unregistered businesses operating as street vendors and home-based businesses. Although these businesses employ about 6 out of every 10 workers worldwide, they encounter numerous challenges in carrying out their daily operations. Therefore, in this chapter, the challenges faced by informal traders located in the Durban central district of South Africa’s Kwa-Zulu Natal province are investigated.
 Design/methodology/approach: This study employs the qualitative research approach utilising structured interviews to obtain data. The Snowball sampling method assisted the researchers to obtain the required data and was analysed using Content Analysis.
 Findings: The results shows that, lack of business space for trading and storage, lack of funding to expand business, poor hygiene and the lack of ablution facilities for traders as well as municipal harassment were the major constraints of the informal operators.

The South African informal sector’s socio-economic exclusion from basic service provisions: A critique of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality’s approach to the informal sector

This study explores the exclusion of informal micro-enterprises from the provision of basic urban infrastructure services in Duncan Village in East London, South Africa. It focuses on the informal food sector, which is dominated by women who are often held back from participating in economic activities that are more productive, as well as from social and political functions. Basic urban infrastructures, such as trading shelters with water and electricity connections provided by municipalities, are often expensive and most informal street traders find it difficult to access them. This study examines the energy struggles of the informal street food sector and its engagement with local government on issues of inclusivity on policies regulating the sector. In-depth, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 40 participants in the informal street food sector in Duncan Village. The findings reveal the lack of energy transition in the informal street food sector, because of its heavy reliance on low-quality fuels. Unreliable and expensive energy services force informal street food enterprises into using a limited range of energy sources. The findings also reveal that the relationship between the municipality and the informal street traders is one of exclusion and negligence. It is therefore suggested that government needs to recognise and value the informal sector and livelihoods of those involved in this sector, to take into account their needs, and engage with them when designing and implementing policies that regulate the sector.

COVID-19 and street traders in the City of uMhlathuze, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: On responses and adaptation mechanisms

The paper analysed the response and adaptation strategies of informal street traders to the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the City of uMhlathuze, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A total of 30 informal street traders were interviewed using in-depth unstructured interviews as an instrument of data collection. Findings suggest that the informal street traders responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by breaking COVID-19 regulations to secure incomes as well as by depending on social grants and saving schemes to survive during the COVID-19 crisis. All these suggest the need for disaster preparedness on the part of the government and relevant stakeholders to protect the informal economy and its immediate beneficiaries in times of crisis like COVID-19. This is pertinent because the informal economy plays an important socioeconomic developmental role for many people living in urban South Africa.

High prevalence of multidrug resistant Escherichia coli isolated from fresh vegetables sold by selected formal and informal traders in the most densely populated Province of South Africa

Contaminated fresh produce has increasingly been implicated in foodborne disease outbreaks. As microbiological safety surveillance in South Africa is limited, a total of 545 vegetable samples (spinach, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, and green beans) were purchased from retailers, street traders, trolley vendors and farmers' markets. Escherichia coli, coliforms and Enterobacteriaceae were enumerated and the prevalence of Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes determined. E. coli isolates were characterized phenotypically (antibiotic resistance) and genotypically (diarrheagenic virulence genes). Coliforms, E. coli and Enterobacteriaceae counts were mostly not significantly different between formal and informal markets, with exceptions noted on occasion. When compared to international standards, 90% to 98% tomatoes, 70% to 94% spinach, 82% cucumbers, 93% lettuce, and 80% green bean samples, had satisfactory (≤ 100 CFU/g) E. coli counts. Of the 545 vegetable samples analyzed, 14.86% (n = 81) harbored E. coli, predominantly from leafy green vegetables. Virulence genes (lt, st, bfpA, eagg, eaeA, stx1, stx2, and ipaH) were not detected in the E. coli isolates (n = 67) characterized, however 40.30% were multidrug-resistant. Resistance to aminoglycosides (neomycin, 73.13%; gentamycin, < 10%), penicillins (ampicillin, 38.81%; amoxicillin, 41.79%; augmentin, < 10%), sulfonamides (cotrimoxazole, 22.39%), tetracycline (19.4%), chloramphenicol (11.94%), cephalosporins (cefepime, 34.33%), and carbapenemases (imipenem, < 10%) were observed. This study highlights the need for continued surveillance of multidrug resistant foodborne pathogens in fresh produce retailed formally and informally for potential consumer health risks. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The results indicate that the microbiological quality of different vegetables were similar per product type, regardless of being purchased from formal retailers or informal street traders, trolley vendors or farmers' markets. Although no pathogenic bacteria (diarrheagenic E. coli, Salmonella spp. or L. monocytogenes) were isolated, high levels of multidrug-resistance was observed in the generic E. coli isolates. These findings highlight the importance of microbiological quality surveillance of fresh produce in formal and informal markets, as these products can be a reservoir of multidrug resistant bacteria harboring antibiotic resistance and virulence genes, potentially impacting human health.

The effects of occupational pollutants on the reproductive health of female informal street traders in Warwick junction, Durban, South Africa \u2013 a cross-sectional study

BackgroundInformal street traders are exposed on a daily basis to traffic emissions and biomass fuel smoke containing a variety of pollutants. These exposures are likely to place the female traders at increased risk for adverse reproductive outcomes.AimThe aim of this study was to compare the reproductive outcomes among street traders exposed to pollutants from their work-related activities and traders without such exposure.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 305 female traders selected from exposed and non-exposed areas within the Warwick Junction trading hub, located in Durban, South Africa. Validated reproductive questionnaires and clinical assessments were conducted on all participants. Adverse reproductive outcomes such as low birth weight, spontaneous abortions and infertility were assessed.ResultsThe mean age of the traders was 43.6 years (SD:12.1), mostly single (63%) and worked in trading hub for an average of 14 years. There were 876 pregnancies reported in the total sample. Traders pregnant while working in this location accounted for 120 pregnancies There was an increased risk of exposed traders having a low birth weight infant as compared to non-exposed traders (OR = 3.7; CI: 1.8, 7.6). Exposed traders were also almost 3 times more likely to be infertile as compared to non-exposed traders (OR = 2.6; CI: 1.6, 4.3).ConclusionsThis study has demonstrated that female street traders working within a trading hub in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; exposed to occupational pollutants show an association with developing infertility and low birth weight infants. Recommendations to mitigate adverse exposures have been suggested which include short term safety interventions and better cooking practices and future long term policy interventions.

Everyday forms of resistance and claim making in Durban South Africa

ABSTRACT South Africa has high levels of visible protest, which occur in parallel with less visible forms of protest. This paper considers the quieter forms of resisting in Durban drawing from two cases studies: informal street traders and shack dwellers. It applies Scott’s concept of ‘everyday resistance’ and Bayat’s notion of ‘quiet encroachment’. Street traders represent an ‘invisible’ power, preferring to avoid engagements with authorities and undermining power structures through a repertoire of daily trading tactics. Shack dwellers are more of a ‘visible’ power where protest is entrenched as part of the settlement ‘culture’ reflecting an ‘offensive’. Abbreviations: NGO: non-governmental organisation; ABM: Abahlali base Mjondolo; ANC: African National Congress; SEDA: Small Enterprise Development Agency

Resistance and Resilience by Informal Traders in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe: Beyond Weapons of the Weak

Based on Bulawayo, the second largest city in Zimbabwe, this paper shows that the growth of urban informality can be explained by shifts in the Zimbabwean economy. These shifts include the corporatist socialist ideology phase (1980–1989), the era of neoliberal economic policies (1990–1997) and the return to restrictionism and reign of predatory politics (1998–present). Instead of triggering economic growth, these changes led to falling industrial production and declining levels of growth, leading to unemployment. This provided a fertile ground for the growth of the informal sector, such as informal street traders (informal traders). Utilising a qualitative study of 200 informal street traders in Bulawayo, who were purposively sampled between June and December 2013, the paper argues that the presence of such traders in Bulawayo is a form of both covert and overt resistance to the local and central government. Such a response by the informal traders highlights resistance and resilience, first to the economic crisis and secondly to the local and central government, which failed to meet their employment needs. This resistance has taken surreptitious forms, such as dodging municipality police patrols or staying hidden from the regulatory regimes (weapons of the weak), but has also graduated beyond this, taking the form of open defiance of and resorting to legal means to fight the regulatory regimes (beyond weapons of the weak). In this way, the paper offers a nuanced analysis of the enduring presence of street traders in a setting where there is a vibrant and repressive regulatory regime. Further, because urban informality is an integral part of urbanisation in the Global South, there is need for strategies that progressively integrate these economic actors.

Changes in the structure of earnings of informal street traders

Purpose/objective: The purpose of this research is to investigate the influence of the 2008 xenophobic events on the structure of earnings of street traders in inner-city Johannesburg and to provide recommendations to policymakers.Problem investigated: The xenophobic events of 2008 are well documented, but absent from the literature is the potential influence on the earnings of foreign street traders. This study investigates this influence through analysis of data from before and after the events.Design and methodology: The study applies an exploratory cross-sectional research design using data from three different samples. Mann-Whitney and Chi-squared measures are applied together with exploratory multiple linear regression analysis to generate insight into the relationships between earnings and differences by origin.Findings and implications: In 2009 the earnings structure of the sector changed. In 2008 and 2010, the earnings of foreign traders are higher, whereas in 2009 these traders earned less than local traders. It is argued that the xenophobic events might have resulted in a temporary restructuring of earnings.Originality or value of the research: This study makes a contribution through exploratory findings that document a change in the structure of earnings of foreign street traders.Conclusion: A change in the structure of earnings of foreign street traders occurred after the xenophobic events of 2008. Although association cannot ascribe causality, it is argued that this change may be related to these events.

How the global economic crisis reaches marginalised workers: the case of street traders in Johannesburg, South Africa

This paper explores the effects of liberal macroeconomic policies and the economic crisis on informal street traders. Street traders are linked to financial markets and the crisis primarily though demand conditions: slower growth and over-trading translate into lower profits. Field research indicates that female traders' households rely significantly more than male traders' households on income generated by trading.

Application of Diversity Indices to Appraise Plant Availability in the Traditional Medicinal Markets of Johannesburg, South Africa

The lack of scientific rigour in analysing ethnobotanical surveys has prompted researchers to investigate ways of quantitatively describing their data, including the use of ecological diversity indices. There are numerous indices and measures available to describe sample diversity. Twenty-two measures of species richness, diversity and evenness were reviewed using six sets of ethnomedicinal data derived from 50 formal muti shop traders (of different ethnicities) and 100 informal street traders of traditional medicine in Johannesburg, South Africa, and a seventh data set from traders on the western boundary of the Kruger National Park, South Africa. The diversity measures were coupled with species accumulation curves to construct cumulative diversity curves used to determine the minimum viable sample size on which a diversity index should be based, and to better understand the differences in the relative diversities of the samples. Distinct differences in the relative abundance and diversity of plants sold by street traders and shop traders were evident. Species diversity and evenness was found to be higher in shops, thus resulting in a lower dominance in the sale of certain plant species compared to the street traders. A survey of an informal market should include no less than 35 research participants compared to no less than 20 for the muti shops. The use of selected indices of species richness (Margalef's), diversity (Shannon, Simpson's, Fisher's alpha, Hill's numbers) and evenness are recommended as a means of describing patterns exhibited within ethnobotanical data.