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Trading site Table 3 shows where respondents' conduct their trading. Table 3: TRADING SITE
Trading place Taxi rank
Bus rank
Town entrances Mall entrances Alongside road Outside schools Outside shop Inside complex From home
%
25 9 0 7
46 2 6 1 4
As can be seen in Table 3 nearly half of the businesses are situated alongside a road. One quarter is trading at a taxi rank, with a few at a bus rank or outside schools. Only one business was inside a complex and four businesses operate from home. The reasons supplied why they trade at their trading sites vary from no other site available (1%); being familiar with the spot and feel comfortable to trade there (9%), more foot or car traffic (62%); high visibility (10%); no competition (2%); close to home (1%); targeted a specific market (3%); want to attract people (5%) to cannot think of any reason (7%).
Suppliers of stock
The respondents buy stock from Tzaneen retailers (67%), wholesalers (1%) or shops in the townships (5%), or farms (7%), or co-op (1%) or in towns such as: Pretoria (1%); Dendron (1%); Johannesburg (9%); Hoedspruit (1%); Pretoria (1%) or Polokwane (4%). Some respondents acquire stock far away from Tzaneen such as Johannesburg or Pretoria. This will impact their profit margin. According to two respondents, ABSA Bank supply them with public phones. It could not be established how this system work, but it is surmised that they receive a loan from the bank for the phones.
Transport from suppliers to trading site
Forty percent of the hawkers use a bus to get to their trading site. If they trade close to their homes and it is possible to carry their stock, they go by foot (29%). They also go by foot if they do not have much equipment to carry together with their stock. Twenty six percent of the hawkers use a taxi to get their stock to their trading place as they cannot carry their stock and/or equipment. Five percent of the hawkers have a car which they use to get their stock to their trading site.
Results of the problems facing hawkers
The respondents indicated many problems (169 responses for 100 hawkers). As the problems varied considerably low scores were obtained. Table 4 shows the various problems experiencing while trading. Five percent of the respondents did not experience any problems.
IMPROVING THE TRADING ENVIRONMENT OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN HAWKERS INDUSTRY 53