Online Reporter
Thabisani Dube, Features Correspondent
FROM crowded pavements where the scent of roasted maize drifts through the air, to the dusty bus ranks echoing with the clang of handcarts and the hum of commuter omnibuses, a powerful informal force sustains Zimbabwe’s cities — that force is the street vendor.
According to the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC)’s 2024 Annual State of Industry and Commerce Survey, Zimbabwe’s tertiary institutions produce approximately 30 000 graduates annually, yet fewer than 20 percent are absorbed into the formal job market, leaving thousands to seek alternative livelihoods.
The informal economy is often misunderstood or overlooked by development actors, yet its role in poverty alleviation continues to grow.
The UN Population Fund notes that by 2030, nearly five billion people will live in cities, mostly in Africa and Asia, making informal economies central to urban survival and inclusive development.
“In Zimbabwe, the informal economy is really the engine of a lot of economic growth,” said Harare Residents Trust director, Ms Precious Shumba.
While both men and women participate in informal work, women are disproportionately represented in lower-income segments. Many single mothers, widows, and grandmothers rely on vending to support extended families.
The Government’s National Development Strategy 1 (2021–25) acknowledges the economy’s structural regression, marked by de-industrialisation and informalisation.
Women face additional challenges: limited access to finance, vulnerability to violence, and costly cross-border trips to source goods from South Africa, Botswana and Zambia.
In separate interviews, women described the informal economy as a “nut that hadn’t yet been cracked.”
Roadside furniture makers, curio sellers, cross-border traders, mechanics, and artisanal miners are key players. Rather than suppress informal trade, the Government and development partners must better target support towards those working within it.
From Harare to Victoria Falls, vendors like Tafadzwa Nyoni, Chenai Mudzamiri, Bhekimpilo Sibanda and Nomathemba Phiri represent Zimbabwe’s educated yet economically sidelined majority.
“Pirating is what pays rent,” says Nyoni, a marketing graduate now driving InDrive taxis in Harare.
Mudzamiri explains, “I wake up at 4AM, buy stock from the farms and sell all day.”
Sibanda recalls, “When the hardware store I was working for closed, I started selling cellphone accessories from pavements.”
Phiri shares, “I’m vending to pay school fees for my two children. My husband left for South Africa and hasn’t been in touch.”
At Mbare Musika, the Government is reconstructing a modern three-storey complex to accommodate at least 10 000 traders, following the October 2024 fire.
Vendors returned within days, selling tomatoes, dried kapenta and road runner chickens under gazebo tents. Many have formal qualifications but rely on vending for sustainable income.
In July 2025, the Glen View Area 8 Home Industry Complex, one of Zimbabwe’s largest informal furniture hubs, was ravaged by fire, destroying over US$2 million worth of property and affecting 700 traders.
President Mnangagwa declared the site a state of disaster, unlocking emergency resources and fast-tracking reconstruction.
Across towns like Gweru, Chinhoyi, Kariba, and Beitbridge, pavement stalls and pop-up markets have overtaken designated vending zones. Yet vendors are often viewed as illegal occupants.
In Chitungwiza, traders near Makoni Shopping Centre and C-Junction reported losing merchandise during the municipality’s 2025 enforcement of prohibition and demolition orders. Some said their stock was never officially recorded, raising concerns about transparency.
In Victoria Falls, vendors see tourists as both opportunity and risk.
“We try to sell crafts, fruit, and even airtime,” says Nkosilathi Dube. “But when council officers come, they chase us away, sometimes violently.”
Councils struggle to regulate. Vending zones are often poorly located, lacking shade, toilets and transport links.
Research from the University of Zimbabwe’s Department of Rural and Urban Planning shows that informal economies, especially street vending, play a vital role in sustaining livelihoods, particularly for women and youths.
Urban planning experts like Professor Innocent Chirisa and Mr Joel Chaeruka advocate for zoning reforms, inclusive licensing, and participatory planning.
In March 2025, the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works instructed councils to clear illegal vending sites within 48 hours, citing sanitation and congestion concerns.
Minister Daniel Garwe emphasised the need for designated spaces with toilets, water points and security.
Meanwhile, critics warn that formalisation may marginalise the poorest vendors — those unable to afford licences or meet zoning requirements.
Unlike Zimbabwe’s enforcement campaigns, Kenya’s Nairobi City County adopted a participatory model in 2022, creating vendor committees to co-manage trading zones and reduce conflict.
Local voices are calling for a shift from enforcement to empowerment. Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (Viset) director, Mr Samuel Wadzai, believes reform must begin by recognising vendors as central to Zimbabwe’s urban economy.
“Street vendors are a vital part of Zimbabwe’s urban economy and livelihoods, and policy must recognise that reality,” he said.
He outlined practical steps: “Simplify registration and licensing; provide well-serviced trading spaces; ensure access to microfinance and digital payments; and develop policies in genuine partnership with vendor associations.”
Mr Wadzai stressed the need for gender sensitivity and scalable, evidence-based interventions.
Additionally, an approach to the informal sector should not target women per se, but take a careful gendered approach, understanding that gender norms deeply affect the informal economy.
In a nation grappling with inflation and youth unemployment, vendors embody grit and ingenuity. A future built with — not against — the informal heartbeat of our cities is not only possible, but essential.
