Motala (2002) defines street vendors as people who are part of the informal economy and who shop in the streets. Street vendors have been identified as the most visible segment of the informal economy and constitute a vital part of South Africa's informal workforce (Motala, 2002).
Rationale
The unsympathetic treatment of foreigners by part of South African society was also reflected in the xenophobic outbreaks of 2008, which occurred in major South African cities and left 62 people dead. They even provided them with material support that contributed to the pressure put on the South African government to negotiate an end to the apartheid system and thus helped establish the country's current democratic government (Lubbe, 2009 ).
The purpose of the study
The researcher considered it necessary to conduct a study on African migrants from a South African perspective in order to gain further insight into the experiences of African migrant street traders.
Research questions
Theoretical Perspectives upon which the study was constructed
Organisation of the study
The chapter first takes a broad look at the experiences of African migrants in different parts of the world. The focus then shifts to particular experiences and the contributions of migrant street vendors working in the city of Durban.
Global perspective of migrant traders
Some of the trek street traders observe that the municipal officials are involved in bribery. Many of the migrant street vendors indicated that they live in apartments in the CBD.
Durban research on migrant traders
Choice of Durban as a case study
According to Maharaj and Moodley (2009), a large percentage of migrants choose Durban because job and business prospects in Durban are considered better than elsewhere in the country. Forty-four percent of traders move to Durban instead of other South African cities, mainly because job and business opportunities are known to be better and more productive in Durban (Maharaj and Moodley, 2009).
Harassment from the police
There were reports of municipal police violence against seven thousand street vendors who refused to vacate the building to make way for the construction of the planned mall (Tissington, 2009). According to the two police officers, most immigrants are less likely to be involved in criminal activities than South Africans.
Xenophobia
According to Jacobsen (2004), foreigners' informal businesses are regularly raided by the police, who confiscate their goods or demand bribes or a protection fee. Newspapers are known to justify claims that migrants interfere unacceptably in the informal sector as well as the livelihoods of the unemployed (Danso and McDonald, 2001).
Fight against crime
African migrants are portrayed as criminals in the local press (Valji, 2003); such perceptions can lead locals to feel that acts of violence against migrants are justified. As the SAHRC (South African Human Rights Commission) (2006) has argued, migrants are constantly accused of being part of the reason for the alarming levels of crime in South Africa, although it is difficult to substantiate such a claim.
The way migrant traders started trading
All migrant itinerant traders who were interviewed reported that they contribute to the economic development of the city. Working as street vendors is a source of frustration for some of the street migrant respondents.
Major types of work
Rules and Regulations affecting migrant traders
Trade zones of migrant traders
Migrant street traders operate in three of these locations, namely The Point, the Beach Front and in the core of the CBD. Moreover, the spaces occupied by the migrant street traders are considered litter-strewn and dirty by some sections of the population.
Preference for entrepreneurship
In cases where migrant traders are actually granted permits, municipalities consider the spaces they are allocated temporary, and evictions occur at the whim of the authorities (Powerman, 2010). Many citizens of Durban at that time also wanted to become street traders and began to use the strategies and techniques of the migrants (Maharaj, 2009).
Level of education
Exclusion from education facilities
The parents of migrant children cite fees, the cost of transport and the cost of books and uniforms as major reasons why their children do not attend school (CoRMSA, 2008). According to Motha and Ramadiro (2005), many migrants have limited knowledge of their right to education.
Lack of access to health services
Medical treatment and services should be provided to all people by the Ministry of Health (Department of Health, 2004). The country's health regulations further stipulate that with regard to medical treatment, the Ministry of Health is obliged to provide services to both locals and migrants.
Lack of accommodation
Despite township accommodation being cheaper, xenophobia forced migrants to live in the city (Leonard, Bukurura and Poonen, 2008). There are buildings in the city center that have been abandoned and then taken over by migrants and destitute people (Badsha, 2003).
Department of Home Affairs
The first reason is that the Ministry of Home Affairs is trying to prevent migrants from staying permanently in South Africa. The second reason is that the department wants to help employ migrants as a cheap source of labor.
Access to financial services
According to Motha and Ramadiro (2002), the Department of Home Affairs sometimes issues incomplete or wrong IDs. There is no legitimate reason for the Department of Home Affairs to give banks such advice.
Economic contribution of migrant traders
According to Kinyanjui (2010), family members are generally preferred by the migrant street traders because of their perceived loyalty, reliability and honesty. Rather than focusing on hiring relatives, migrant street traders prefer to hire local staff.
Summary
According to Peberdy (2010), Mozambican informal traders bring nuts, vegetables and clothes not otherwise found in South Africa to be sold by street traders. Therefore, as entrepreneurs and workers, African migrants contribute substantially to the economy of the city of Durban (Maharaj, 2009).
Profile of Durban
This chapter discusses some of the ethical aspects that are central to the study, such as informed consent. The challenges we encountered during the research are briefly presented.
Description of the site of Study
The place of business of migrant street traders is characterized by many small business stalls, which consist of plastic covers supported by movable iron bars. In terms of data collection, the researcher had to go to the business site of African migrant street traders to get details about their business experiences and activities.
Qualitative Research Method
Many African migrants and local street traders are found working out of formal shops, where they have their products displayed in small structures provided by the eThekwini Municipality. The experiences of migrant street traders and the social challenges they face were examined for their relevance to this study.
In-depth interviews
According to Opdenakker (2006), the visibility of the interviewer and interviewee can sometimes cause the interviewer to interrupt the interviewee. There are times when a respondent may be reluctant (for whatever reason) to disclose information about certain areas the interviewer wishes to investigate (Marshall and Rossman, 2011).
Sampling Procedure
From the beginning the researcher gave the respondents a detailed explanation of the objectives of the study. The researcher asked the respondent's permission after completing the initial interview.
Data Analysis
The researcher used questions that delved into those areas that were most relevant to the study. The researcher tried his best to develop a good relationship with the respondents to build mutual trust that would lead to the collection of the necessary information for the study.
Limitations of the Research
Codes should be interpreted based on their relationship to other codes within a given context (Struwig and Stead, 2001). The themes were recorded and set aside, where they were placed into segments for comparison.
Ethical Considerations
The researcher had to explain that the research would use pseudonyms instead of the respondents' real names. The researcher assured the respondents that the information collected through the interviews would be treated as confidential.
Summary
Woven into the discussions is the examination of how the migrants are perceived by the local street vendors. The views of the local street vendors shed light on how the migrants run their businesses and what their economic contribution to the city is considered to be.
Sample characteristics
Job creation
Seven of the ten itinerant street vendors employ local people as staff, and these staff help them sell their wares. The employment of local citizens by the itinerant street vendors occurs regardless of the survival nature of their entrepreneurial businesses.
Contribution of migrant street traders
All local street traders admit that migrant street traders contribute to reducing unemployment by creating jobs for the youth. For example, migrant street traders living on the outskirts of the CBD (in places like Berea) have to pay taxi fares totaling R10.00 per day to travel to and from work.
Xenophobia and AmaKwere kwere
A Senegalese street vendor's mild comments about the use of the term ikwere kwere stood in stark contrast to the emotionally bitter remarks of the DRC street vendor quoted above. It is important to note that it cannot be assumed that all the local street vendors are in favor of expelling the migrant vendors from the city.
Crime
This research concludes that there are local street vendors who are in favor of the migrants being allowed to pursue their business activities as these activities are considered to benefit the unemployed in Durban.
Police harassment
The above answer shows that local street traders have better chances than migrant street traders when it comes to legal redress due to their South African citizenship. Several migrant street traders alleged that police officers have demanded bribes from them on numerous occasions, even though they had committed no offense.
Attitude of municipal officials
Some street vendors oblige and pay the bribe because they fear the negative consequences if they fail to provide the necessary kickbacks. Some itinerant street vendors feel that they are not treated in the same way as local street vendors.
Scarcity of jobs
Lack of finance
These struggling migrant street traders stated that they sell goods on a small scale and their business operations are uncertain, especially in the middle of the month. The migrant street traders reported that the money they earn is spent on housing that they usually share, on the rental of a workplace and accommodation (both provided by the municipality), on the wages of their assistants and sometimes on the purchase of more necessities.
Shortage of shelters and risks in storage
Street vendors who are most affected by adverse weather conditions are those who do not have access to municipal shelters, despite having permits to sell. Migrant street vendors reported that sometimes their goods are stolen from their storage facilities.
Price fluctuations
Furthermore, it is difficult for most street vendors to maintain their prices or increase them to achieve a larger profit. Such price drops sometimes lead to tensions and conflicts between local street traders and migrant street traders.
Competition
Some local street vendors do not want the migrant street vendors to earn huge profits. Some of the migrant street traders consider competition between the locals and the migrants at certain times to be unhealthy.
Lack of expansion
By cooperating and working together in trade, migrant street traders tend to maintain cordial relations among themselves and support each other. There are hawkers who are not happy with the way Metropolitan Municipality officers allocate commercial spaces.
Social networks
The majority of the migrants and local street respondents sell similar products, which does not encourage business growth. The above quote indicates that some of the migrant street traders depend on their contacts to get the work which then enables them to save money so that they can eventually start their own businesses.
Street trading as a means of survival
Many street traders indicate that they are satisfied with their work as street traders. They feel that they have no other alternative but to continue as street entrepreneurs to survive.
Lack of educational opportunities
However, a large proportion of migrant respondents are not satisfied with their type of work. Some migrant street traders express frustration at not being able to participate in the formal economy because they lack the necessary qualifications.
Cost of accommodation
Implementation of skills
Many of the high street vendors reported that they appreciated the support they received from the local residents who came to shop in the city. Some of the local street traders are convinced that the migrant street traders are selling DVDs (Digital Video Disc) and CDs (Compact Disc) on the black market.
Local business support
Sale of illegal items and drugs
This is paradoxical given that African migrant street vendors express their own concerns over. There seems to be a lack of consensus among some of the local street vendors regarding the migrants.
Availability of income
The researcher has made an effort to demonstrate through this study that migrant itinerant traders contribute to the development of the city of Durban. One area that requires further research is the government's failure to provide support to migrant street traders.
Migrants‟ wishes
Summary
The migrants and local street traders who were interviewed showed how African traders contribute to the reduction of unemployment in Durban as well as the economic development of the city. In this chapter an attempt has been made to show how migrant itinerant traders contribute to the economic development of the city of Durban.
Discussion
The bribes that corrupt policemen demand from the migrant street vendors could be better used for the welfare of the city. Despite the notable contribution that the itinerant street traders make to the development of the city, they live in constant fear.
Recommendations
The municipality must create conditions that are more favorable for the itinerant street vendors to receive vocational training. The terms and conditions of reimbursement from the migrant street vendor groups should be clearly stated.
Summary
Immigrants' experiences in South Africa: a case study of Ethiopians in Durban, South Africa. Transnationalism and non-South African entrepreneurs in South Africa's small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) economy.
