By Nosihle Zulu
KwaZulu-Natal’s relentless heavy rains have left street vendors battling to keep their businesses alive, with many forced to close early, losing both productivity and profits.
For those without proper shelter, the downpours have turned their workdays into a race against the weather.
Among the most hit are traditional herb sellers, who say the rains are destroying their stock. Despite their best efforts to shield herbs with sails and plastic covers, water still seeps in, leading to dampness and fungal growth. Once infected, the herbs become unsellable, forcing vendors to discard them and absorb the financial loss.
“We try to persevere through the rain, hoping it will pass, but staying out in the cold often results in us getting the flu,” said Nonhlanhla Zuma, a vendor in Pietermaritzburg CBD.
“Then we are forced to stay home for a week, which means more lost income,” said Zuma. Tholakele Lembethe, another herb seller, expressed frustration at the lack of municipal support.
“For 22 years, we’ve been promised proper shelters, but nothing has changed. These rains are making it impossible for us to work,” Lembethe said.
The crisis extends beyond herb sellers. Noluthando Bavuma, who sells seedlings, says heavy rains have devastated her trade.
“Seedlings shouldn’t be watered before planting, but the rain ruins them. Even when I try to cover them, water still seeps in. Customers refuse to buy damaged seedlings, so I end up giving them away for free after spending around R400 on stock,” Bavuma said.
Bavuma noted that this year’s rainfall has been far worse than in previous years, a sentiment echoed by other traders.
Dladla Sindi, a fruit and vegetable vendor, said the financial strain is worsening.
“We’re losing money from closing early, yet we still have to pay rent for our storage spaces. It’s becoming harder to make ends meet,” Sindi said.
She further highlighted that the hail damages her stock. Thus, crippling her profitability. For those selling cooked food, the impact is even more severe. Zandile Duma, who sells roasted mealies, described the situation as unbearable.
“The rain puts out my fire, forcing me to throw away the charcoal and buy more. Every cent I earn goes into replacing what I’ve lost. It feels like we’re not moving forward at all.”
The challenges facing street vendors are also the subject of scholarly research. In an abstract to a study titled Challenges Facing Street Vendors in Durban and the Role of The Law: A Means to empowering Women, researcher Noluthando Perceviarance Ndaba noted that “street vendors are a significant part of the economy, and their income supports several families and sustains their livelihoods.”
Ndaba notes that “however, such vendors, particularly women, are faced with severe problems that interfere with their daily operations, as well as challenges relating to the law.” With no sign of the rains letting up, these small business owners are calling for urgent intervention, hoping that long-promised infrastructure support finally materialises. Until then, they continue to battle the elements, one storm at a time.
