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demanding bribes to allow them to trade. These bribes are either monetary or in terms of stock. They also lack business skills. Hawkers regard shortage of water as troublesome. They want some funding to improve their businesses and skills training as they lack business knowledge as took place in Kuala Lumpur where hawkers have access to credit, booking and skills training. They also want a shelter to be protected if it is raining. Other suggestions were to have electricity, refuse bins as it impact their hygienic trading conditions, funding to buy more stock and some storage facilities for their stock and equipment. Most of these problems have been confirmed in literature on hawkers in either South Africa or other countries.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Municipalities can assist hawkers through changing their trading environment. There should be a universal street trading by-law with the same trading conditions in all the cities in South Africa. Table 7 provides some guidelines for municipalities on how to improve hawkers' trading environment.
Table 7: GUIDELINES ON HOW TO IMPROVE HAWKERS TRADING ENVIRONMENT
No. 1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12
13 14
15
Guidelines to improve hawkers’ trading environment Demarcate certain areas for hawkers
Limit the same type of businesses in an area
Supply access to water and sanitation at demarcated areas Provide opportunities to use prepaid electricity boxes Supply a shelter structure at these demarcated areas Give only permit holders access to the shelter structure Charge hawkers using the shelter a small monthly fee Provide a lock-up facility at the shelter for stock and equipment
Ensure that rubbish bins are placed near trading areas and cleared on a regular basis Supply a limited amount of credit at a reasonable interest rate Supply basic business training to hawkers at a subsidised fee
Offer business training on how to draw up a budget, pricing and how to manage finances instead of just assisting with funding
Training offerings should be practical in nature and pitched according to their literacy levels
Include the hawker sector in urban planning
Allocate a dedicated municipal officer to police demarcated areas to prevent police corruption or harassing of hawkers and provide some basic security
This study clearly shows the need for these types of businesses as the communities and locals support them. It provides income for the hawkers' households, job opportunities, prevent unemployment and provide employment to a limited extent. With the necessary support they will be able to operate more efficiently and possibly grow their businesses to some extent. Growth will be influence to a large extent by having lock-up facilities for stock and equipment, as they mostly rely on public transport. This means that they cannot have much stock and much equipment to display stock. Municipalities should regulate the hawker industry according to the new act and provide them with a more favourable trading environment.
IMPROVING THE TRADING ENVIRONMENT OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN HAWKERS INDUSTRY 57