Raymond Jaravaza [email protected]
AS the morning rush gathers momentum at the corner of Fife Street and Eighth Avenue in Bulawayo, Ms Nomasuku Lunga is already at work, serving steaming cups of tea and freshly baked pies to commuter omnibus drivers and conductors preparing for another busy day.
Her vending stall is small, but its location puts her at the heart of the city’s daily transport rush, where drivers and conductors ferry passengers to and from suburbs such as Mahatshula, Parklands and Selbourne Park, as well as the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) and United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH).
For commuters and transport crews with little time to spare, her offering is simple and affordable.
A cup of tea costs R10 and a pie costs the same price. A customer with US$1 can buy both.
Ms Lunga is among a growing number of women making a living by selling ready-to-eat food and drinks on Bulawayo’s streets, turning busy taxi ranks, pavements and shopping areas into informal marketplaces.
She started selling food at the taxi rank in 2024 and has since built a business around understanding what her customers want, when they want it and how much they can afford.
“On average, I bake 40 pies, which I sell for R10 each and by the time I start packing my stuff to go back home in Mzilikazi, I normally would have sold all of them,” she said.
Her approach is to prepare enough to meet demand without compromising the quality of her products.
“Pies are best enjoyed fresh, so I would rather disappoint a few customers when I run out instead of remaining with extra pies that I cannot sell the following morning, as that will place the health of my customers at risk,” she said.
The weather also influences her business. Cold mornings bring more customers looking for something warm before starting work, making tea an important part of her daily sales.
“The majority of my customers are kombi drivers and conductors,” said Ms Lunga.
A walk through Bulawayo’s city centre by the Zimpapers news crew revealed how the trade extends beyond the transport ranks, with women carrying transparent plastic buckets filled with food as they move between shops, workplaces and busy pedestrian routes.
At TM Pick n Pay supermarket, another vendor, Ms Locadia Moyo said the number of women selling food from buckets had increased over the past two years.
“The transparent containers allow customers to see what is available without having to ask,” she said.
Ms Moyo sells roasted and boiled groundnuts, a snack she says appeals to people looking for something to eat during the day.
“Most of my customers buy groundnuts in the morning to eat at their workplaces when they are settled. The advantage of selling groundnuts over other foodstuffs is that they are a snack and can be enjoyed at any time of the day,” she said.
“They have a longer shelf life compared to pies.”
As the day warms up, the trade shifts towards cold drinks, with vendors selling homemade juices made from indigenous fruits attracting customers seeking refreshment.
Baobab juice, made from the fruit of one of Zimbabwe’s best-known indigenous trees, is among the popular choices.
Ms Nomthandazo Moyo sells the drink in 500-millilitre plastic bottles for R10, keeping it refrigerated overnight so that it is cold when she takes it to the streets the following morning.
“I keep the juice in the refrigerator overnight and sell it the following morning as my customers like it cold,” she said.
Her decision to move around with two buckets rather than remain at one spot is also a practical response to the challenges of vending in the city centre.
“Moving around with my two buckets keeps me away from the municipal police,” she said.
For the women, success depends on more than simply having something to sell. They must identify the right customers, choose products that suit the time of day, keep prices affordable and manage stock to avoid losses.
Their businesses also reflect the resourcefulness of informal traders who rely on small daily sales to generate income in a competitive urban environment.
From the early-morning demand for tea and pies to the afternoon market for chilled baobab juice, Bulawayo’s street vendors are finding opportunities in the city’s daily routines.
