The informal sector thrives in a context of high unemployment, underemployment, poverty, gender inequality and precarious work. It plays a significant role in such circumstances, especially in income generation and in contributing to the livelihood of those engaged in it. The study investigated the contribution of street vending to the livelihood of street vendors in Nkonkobe Municipality. The aim of the study was to investigate whether street vending has the potential to sustain the lives of those engaged in it. In order to reach its objectives, the study employed a qualitative research approach whereby a non-probability sampling design in the form of a purposive sampling method was adopted and considered appropriate for this study. In terms of data collection, the study made use of structured questionnaires as a data collection method whereby questionnaires were administered and distributed to 40 street venders. The Upper Bound Poverty Line (UBPL) was used as a measurement to assess whether the participants’ incomes were above the poverty datum line in order to determine the sector’s contribution to the traders’ livelihood. From this study, it was found that street vending has both positive and negative impacts with regard to the success and profit-earning potential of these traders. Thus, the study concluded that street vending is a vital community development tool and a major source of livelihood as it plays a very important socio-economic role in Nkonkobe and in South Africa in general. The sector provides a livelihood for a huge population mainly comprised of the poor and other impoverished groups of society.

This study deals with the management of street traders to boost the local economy of King William‟s Town. The purpose of the study is to conduct the research on how street traders can be managed to boost the local economy of King William‟s Town. The intention is to research the challenges they have and how to improve them. To be able to conduct the study, the researcher deemed it necessary to study existing literature on Local Economic Development. The way street traders are managed presently has been investigated and analysed in order to develop recommendations for solving the challenges facing street trading in King William‟s Town. The researcher conducted interviews in the form of face-to-face discussions and scheduled interviews with street traders, municipal authorities, and the iQonce Small Business Association. The literature review and interviews enabled the researcher to develop recommendations to solve the challenges. These recommendations will be helpful to the King William‟s Town municipality. The findings of this study reveal that there are challenges in the manner in which street trading is managed in King William‟s Town. Some of the challenges are a lack of a LED policy, poor infrastructure, failure to implement decisions, lack of financial support for street traders, and underutilisation of the budget. The researcher has made some recommendations in terms of support and assistance for street traders, the formulation of a LED policy, and plans and systems needed to be put in place for the management of street trading in King William‟s Town. The researcher summarises the study by claiming that if the proposed recommendations can be thoroughly implemented, there will be some improvement in the manner in which the street traders are managed.

This study investigates the challenges faced by street traders in Mnquma Local Municipality. The purpose is to examine the factors affecting street traders trading at N2 Mthatha Street at Butterworth in Mnquma Local Municipality. For this reason, it was necessary to study the literature on local economic development. The challenges facing street traders were also investigated and analysed in order to formulate recommendations for solving challenges facing street trading in Mnquma Local Municipality. In order to fulfil the objective of the study and to address the research problem faceto-face interviews were conducted with the street traders, municipal officials and Hawkers’ Association. The literature review and the interviews enabled the recommendation of possible answers to the problem. These recommendations would be valuable and, one hopes, will also be of assistance to the Mnquma Local Municipality. Findings of this study indicate that challenges faced by street traders in Butterworth include lack of financial support to start their businesses. Also, the fact that there is no water taps that can be used by the members of the public in the Central Business District (CBD) in Butterworth as well as street lights at night is one of the challenges. Recommendations were made with regard to support and assistance for street traders, environmental management and also a recommendation on business registration and licensing. The study concludes that if the Mnquma local municipality can implement all the proposed recommendations, all the factors raised by street traders as disturbing the functionality of their businesses particularly in Butterworth will be rectified.

As one of the most impoverished provinces in South Africa with a high unemployment rate the Eastern Cape (Stats SA, 2011) was more suited for a study of this nature. In executing the research aims and objectives the study will be limited to focus specifically on one of the provinces cities, the Nelson Mandela Bay. The investigation will be focused on women street vendors mainly trading with fruits and vegetables, as well as other perishables. This industry was chosen because according to the Labour Force Survey (2000), there was an estimated 500,000 street traders operating in South Africa and more than 70 percent of them were found to be dealing in the trade of food items (Motala, 2002). The focus on women was driven by mainly by the fact that they constitute a majority of the street traders that are involed in the sale perishables/food items (Skinner, 2008).

Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness / MSCAEC

MSCAGR (Agricultural Economics) / Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness / study aimed to determine factors that influenced the price of tomatoes sold by hawkers on the roadside market. The study also aimed at determining whether any socio-economic characteristics of hawkers who sold tomatoes had significant impact on the price paid my consumers. The study was conducted in the Thulamela local municipality under Vhembe District of Limpopo, South Africa. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select participants for this study. A sample size of 198 hawkers were drawn randomly. Structured questionnaires were administered through face-to-face interview. Descriptive statistics, correlation matrix, multiple linear hedonic regression and stepwise linear regression were used to analyse collected data. With regards socio-economic characteristics, only age was found to have significant impact on the market price received by hawkers. Smooth appearance, rough appearance, round shape, oval shape, and red and yellow colour tomatoes had a significant impact on the average market price. It is therefore recommended that attribute such appearances, colour, shapes and sizes of tomatoes should be considered when selling tomatoes at both retail and farm level. This will result in more purchase of tomatoes that will eventually contribute to increase in household income and reduction in poverty.

Thesis (MTech. degree in Agriculture)--Tshwane University of Technology, 2011. / Using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework as a guide, livelihoods of street traders involved in the purchase and retail of fresh produce from farmers at the Dzindi smallholder irrigation scheme were documented, analysed and assessed.

The study focuses on the regulation of informal trading, specifically street traders, within Polokwane Local Municipality. Municipalities required to manage street trading, and to deal with the challenge of increasing numbers of informal traders, which is affecting the formal trading economy. A small income and the limited ability of the government and the formal business sector to provide sufficient employment opportunities to people in the economically active age categories are two of the main reasons for informal trading in South African cities. As a result, the informal street trading sector plays an important role in providing a security net for millions of unemployed in the South African economy. However, informal street trading is not without its problems (Willemse, 2011:7). Often people blame government for not creating employment. When government is unable to provide sustainable employment to all the people, informal jobs emerge. Thus informal trading has become the only option for survival. Informal trading is a major source of income for the majority of the urban poor and therefore requires a properly regulated environment to address issues of income and unemployment for the poor. This study undertook to investigate how Polokwane Local Municipality regulates informal trading in the city of Polokwane. The research method employed in this study is qualitative. The main finding of the study is that because informal trading plays a significant role in creating employment, it must be well regulated and supported by the municipality in order to be organised. The main recommendation on the basis of this finding is that there should be a new approach, especially in terms of enforcement of by-laws. Most informal traders have applied for permits and have been waiting for a response from the Polokwane Local Municipality for years. In this regard, most of the informal traders are dissatisfied with municipal treatment of informal trading in the city. This dissatisfaction is also caused by lack of consultation.

Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies

The inadequate food safety knowledge by street food vendors have been a challenge encountered in ensuring safety of street foods. The aim of this study was to assess the food safety knowledge of street food vendors in the Johannesburg metropolis and to evaluate the conformance and monitoring of their street food vending facilities in accordance to regulations governing general hygiene requirements for food premises in South Africa. A cross sectional survey was conducted in which 315 street food vendors and 155 street food vending facilities were observed using a questionnaire instrument and observational checklist, respectively. The majority (61.3%) of the street food vendors were females and most (64.1%) of them had not attended a food safety training course. Only a few (12.1%) street food vendors knew the correct minimum internal cooking temperature for stuffed chicken, while less than half knew the correct temperature for cold and hot holding of ready-to-eat foods, 40% and 39% respectively. The majority of them have never heard of Salmonella (92.7%), Campylobacter (95.2%), Listeria (57.1%), Clostridium (94.3%), or Staphylococcus (87.6%). Up to 52% street food vendors had moderate food safety knowledge. Most of the street food vending facilities (68.3%) had been inspected by health inspectors and only 17% of street food vending facilities had low level of compliance to regulations governing general hygiene requirements for food premises and the transport of food in South Africa. The overall food safety knowledge of street food vendors in Johannesburg metropolis was moderate. The level of compliance and monitoring of street food vending facilities to regulations governing general hygiene requirements for food premises in South Africa was satisfactory. Street food vendors should be trained on internal cooking temperature, hot and cold storage temperature of ready-to-eat foods, and food pathogens such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, Clostridium, and Staphylococcus / Life and Consumer Sciences / M. Cons. Sci.