Online Reporter
Sikhulekelani Moyo, [email protected]
THE Bulawayo City Council is seeking to modernise the management of informal traders through plans to send a delegation to Kadoma City Council for a benchmarking and capacity-building visit on the e-Musika Vendor Management System.
According to recent council minutes, Bulawayo authorities believe the visit is necessary to help inform procurement specifications before acquiring a similar electronic vendor management platform.
The proposed move is in line with Government initiatives aimed at formalising and effectively regulating micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The programme is expected to improve accountability, strengthen business traceability and ensure informal traders comply with licensing, levy and tax obligations.
“Formalising informal trading activities was expected to improve urban order, strengthen municipal revenue collection, and support infrastructure development at designated vending sites and transport termini,” the report noted.
Local authorities across Zimbabwe are increasingly turning to electronic vendor management systems as part of efforts to improve efficiency and revenue collection.
The e-Musika system, developed by technology company LADS Africa, is already being used by Kadoma and Mutare city councils.
The digital platform replaces manual record-keeping systems and is designed to improve transparency, efficiency and revenue collection from informal traders and market vendors.
Bulawayo City Council is now considering adopting a similar system as part of its wider digital transformation agenda.
Council officials say it is important to conduct a practical assessment of how the system operates before committing to procurement.
The proposed visit would give officials from the council’s finance, information communication technology and Town Planning departments first-hand exposure to the day-to-day operations of the e-Musika platform.
The finance department is expected to assess the effectiveness of revenue collection, the system’s integration with existing billing platforms, audit trail capabilities and the reconciliation of cashless payments.
“The department would also benchmark the extent to which the system contributed to revenue growth and to reducing leakages associated with informal-sector activities,” the minutes read.
ICT officials will evaluate the system’s architecture, cybersecurity features, data backup processes and compatibility with the council’s existing digital infrastructure to ensure it meets smart city and digital transformation objectives.
Town planning officials will focus on how the platform assists with spatial planning, vendor allocation, bay mapping and enforcement at bus termini and trading sites.
The local authority hopes the exercise will help improve order and compliance in informal trading areas.
Council expects the benchmarking visit to provide a clearer understanding of technical and operational requirements, strengthen procurement processes and improve decision-making regarding the acquisition of the system.
The local authority also hopes to identify best practices in informal sector management while advancing Bulawayo’s push towards becoming a smart city with improved digital service delivery.
According to the report, lessons from Kadoma could also assist the city in extending electronic systems beyond vendor management to broader municipal revenue collection and urban management functions.
“The effective management and regulation of MSMEs and informal trading activities were critical to promoting urban order, enhancing municipal revenue, and supporting Government-led economic formalisation initiatives,” said the local authority.
The council said acquiring a suitable electronic vendor management system would significantly improve operational efficiency, accountability and service delivery in Bulawayo.
The proposed benchmarking and capacity-building visit to Kadoma is now awaiting council approval to ensure Bulawayo’s procurement process is guided by operational realities and best-practice experience.
