By Lethukuthula Zulu
Small traders who depend on Durban’s CBD in KwaZulu-Natal to purchase bulk stock say they are losing vital income every time the city centre is forced into lockdown due to volatile protests.
Last Thursday, businesses along Dr Pixley KaSeme Street and surrounding blocks were forced to close early as a march moved through Glenwood into the CBD. Pavement traders had to pack up suddenly, losing a full day’s trading.
The protest was linked to opposition to a recent court ruling on immigration. Several vehicles and properties were set alight during the protests.
For door-to-door sellers who travel to eThekwini to buy clothing in bulk, the sudden closure meant failing customers who had already placed orders. Many operate without shops, relying on personal relationships and timely delivery to keep customers.
A 58-year-old trader who travels from Richards Bay to Durban to buy clothes to resell door-to-door said she could not access suppliers.
“I could not go to eThekwini to order the things that my customers wanted because the roads were closed,” she told Vutivi Business News. “When you go door to door, if you don’t have what the customer asked for, they buy from someone else.”
She noted that when she misses an order, customers move to other sellers, dealing a blow to her household budget. A missed delivery is not just a lost sale, but money for groceries and school transport.
Traders in the CBD have also raised concerns that customers are becoming too afraid to navigate the city centre during protest action, choosing localised suburban malls instead. This shift is worrying for small operators who cannot afford mall rentals.
The disruption comes even as the state rolls out support for small retailers. The Department of Small Business Development is implementing the R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund to assist South African-owned shops with stock, equipment and compliance. The fund aims to strengthen township and rural retail.
However, informal operators argue that funding alone does not guarantee stability if the operating environment remains unpredictable. They say they need safe, open streets to trade as much as financial support.
The Durban Business Community Forum has issued a plea to President Cyril Ramaphosa and provincial leadership to intervene, warning in a letter that: “Durban CBD is an important economic hub of KwaZulu-Natal. We cannot allow violence, criminality and lawlessness to destroy businesses, threaten innocent lives and undermine confidence in our city.”
Yesterday, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) and Provincial Joint Operational and Intelligence Structures (PROVJOINTS) announced coordinated and intelligence-led operational responses.
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was also deployed as “part of the broader stabilisation interventions undertaken through cooperation between the SAPS and the SANDF.”
“We reiterate that law enforcement will not allow threats, intimidation or unlawful conduct to undermine public safety, disrupt sporting events or destabilise communities. We support law enforcement in the resolve to protect lives, safeguard property and uphold the rule of law. We will indeed act decisively, professionally and within the confines of the law against anyone who threatens public order,” the NATJOINTS said in a statement.
As the festive season approaches, traders fear further disruptions will push more customers away from the CBD permanently.
