Realities of Street Hawkers on the City Street Corners

THE REALITIES OF STREET HAWKERS

ON THE CITY STREET CORNERS

BY

TAFADZWA MARAVANYIKA

(4559-837-1)

BSW (BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WORK)

RESEARCH PROJECT

SCK410B

PO Box 39069, Garsfontein East, Pretoria 0060

03 August 2012

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Tafadzwa Maravanyika 45598371 | SCK410-B The realities of

street hawkers on the city street corners

Date: 09 August 2012

I, TAFADZWA MARAVANYIKA, the undersigned declare that this work is

my original creation and that I have not copied over information from any

source without acknowledging it in proper manner in the text and in the

bibliography.

……………………………………

Signature of researcher.

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Contents Page number

CHAPTER 1

GENERAL INTRODUCTION AND PROBLEM

FORMULATION AND THE APPLICATION OF

THE QUALITATIVE RESEARCH PROCESS

5

1.1 General introduction and problem formulation

1.2 Research Question

1.3 Research goal and objective

1.4 Research approach

1.4.1 Definition of qualitative research

1.4.2 Characteristics of qualitative research

1.4.3 When should one use qualitative approach?

1.4.4 Motivation on qualitative approach’s suitability for

the study.

1.5 research design

1.6 The research population, sampling and sampling

techniques

1.7 Preparation of data collection and the method of data

collection.

1.8 Methods of data analysis

1.9 Ethical considerations

1.9.1 Anonymity

1.9.2 Confidentiality

1.9.3 Informed consent

1.9.4 Management of information

1.10 Clarification of key concepts

1.11 Problems/challenges experienced during the

implementation of the research

1.12 Outline of the research report

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CHAPTER 2:

THE PRESENTATION OF THE RESEARCH

FINDINGS AND LITERATURE CONTROL

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2.1.Introduction

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2.2. The biographical profile of the participants

2.3.Presentation of the themes and literature control

2.3.1. THEME1: Things to consider or do before

one becomes a street hawker.

2.3.2. THEME 2: Challenges faced by street

hawkers and how they cope with them.

2.3.2.1 Subtheme 1: challenges and coping strategies

related to police and licensing.

2.3.2.2 Subtheme 2: challenges and coping strategies

related to perishable goods

2.3.2.3 Subtheme 3: challenges and coping skills

related to people and the environment.

2.3.3. THEME 3: How the street hawker business

has worked for the street hawker and his family.

2.3.4. THEME 4: Chances for the street hawker s

to grow their business.

2.3.5. THEME 5: support systems for the street

hawker.

2.4.Conclusions of the chapter

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CHAPTER 3:

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

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3.1.Introduction

3.2.Conclusions based on the research process and the

research findings

3.3.Recommendations

3.3.1 Recommendations pertaining to the qualitative

research process.

3.3.2 Recommendations pertaining to the research

findings.

3.3.3 Recommendations pertaining to further and future

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research.

3.4 Conclusions to the chapter

34

BIBLIOGRAPHY

35

Addendum A: The transcribed interviews

Addendum B: Example of the letter requesting

participation of participants and the informed consent

form.

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CHAPTER 1:

GENERAL INTRODUCTION AND

PROBLEM FORMULATION AND THE

APPLICATION OF THE QUALITATIVE

RESEARCH PROCESS

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1.1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION AND PROBLEM

FORMULATION

Over the years the street hawker business has been in existence and provided

and is still providing a source of income for the various men and women who

are involved in the trade (Moloto, 2007). As a result of its continued

existence and exponential growth rate, some authors suggested that the

informal economy which encompasses street hawkers be regarded as one of

the major practices which are assisting in efforts to alleviate poverty (Chen,

Vanek & Carr, 2004:30).

However, even though the street hawker business is providing employment

opportunities for many people, in most nations the trade is regarded as an

illegal activity. There are various municipal laws which restrict street hawker

operations and in most cases, street hawkers who do not have licenses are

exposed to police harassment and confiscation of goods (Bhowmik. n.d.). To

avoid the harassment and loss of goods most vendors apply for licences

which protect them from police and municipal disturbances (Chopra, 2004).

Although a body of literature exists in relation to the topic on the realities of

street hawkers on the city street corners, most of the writings did not

specifically focus on the realities of street hawkers. Berry (2009) focused on

the challenges and coping strategies of female vendors in the informal

economy, Walsh (2010) focused on the street vendors and the dynamics of

the informal economy, Chandler (2002) focused on the marketing tactics of

small businesses in East London and Chen focused on the mainstreaming

informal employment and gender in poverty reduction. The only piece which

was close to encompassing all the information on the realities of street

hawkers was Bhowmik’s (n.d.) research on hawkers and the urban informal

sector. There is therefore need for a qualitative research which will focus on

the realities of street hawkers on the city street corners. The above literature

was obtained from the library of the University of South Africa and the

internet.

Of all the previous studies identified two were conducted in South Africa and

none was done in Pretoria. I am therefore able to justify this topic as being

worth investigation since there is no local knowledge on the realities of street

hawkers on the city street corners of Pretoria. Further on, the previous

researches done in relation to the realities of street hawkers were mainly

focused on the business angle and policy adjustments. There is therefore need

to conduct a qualitative research which will fully focus on the realities of

street hawkers on the city street corners from a social work perspective.

Realizing that there is lack of qualitative data generated within Pretoria and

within the social work ambit which is directly related to the realities of street

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hawkers on the city street corners, it is therefore very important that

qualitative research be conducted in this particular area. Through conducting

this research I hope to provide detailed information on the realities of street

hawkers on the city street corners from the social work perspective. I also

hope that the findings will be able to pave ways for dealing with the

challenges faced by the street hawkers and also provide more support systems

for the street hawkers.

1.2 RESEARCH QUESTION

After clearly stating the research topic it is the duty of the researcher to

narrow down the topic and formulate a research question. Neuman (2011:18)

clearly states that focusing on a research topic is very broad so there is need

to narrow down the topic and focus on a specific research question that the

study can address.

A research question can be defined as a question about the social world that a

researcher tries to answer through the analysis of first-hand data (Finebaugh,

2008:2). The question must clearly specify what the researcher wants to learn

or understand by doing the research (Maxwell, 2008).

Qualitative research questions must also be intellectually interesting and

point the reader in the direction the study will go (Padgett, 2008: 47). This

view is further supported by Firebaugh (2008:2) who states that the research

question must be researchable and interesting to you and others. Firebaugh

(2008:3) further states that researchable questions are questions that are

neither too specific nor too grand. He goes on and points that it is far better to

ask ‘what’ questions than to ask why questions when doing social research.

Given all the various scholarly viewpoints it can be noted that research

questions should be used as a means to narrow down the topic and focus on a

specific subject question. It should also be taken into consideration that when

deciding on a question the researcher should make sure that the question can

be of interest to others. It should also be a good research question which asks

what and not why to enable the researcher to learn and understand the given

topic.

With all this theory in mind I decided to formulate my research question to

be: What are the realities of street hawkers on the city street corners?

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1.3 RESEARCH GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

Research goals also known as research purposes can be defined as pointers

which aim to illuminate why you want to conduct the study and the issues

which you want the study to clarify (Maxwell, 2008). This view is supported

by Creswell (2003:99) who stated that the purpose statement indicates why

you want to do the study and what you intend to accomplish.

Before a researcher decides about a goal there are two factors that influence

the researcher’s goal which are the researcher’s background information on

the particular topic and his/her cognitive interest (Mouton, 2009:101). Further

on, Maxwell (2008) states that goals serve two functions for research which

are: they help guide the researcher’s design to ensure that the study is worth

doing and they are also essential in justifying your study.

With this theoretical framework I therefore formulated the following goal

which led me as I conducted my research.

• To develop an understanding of the realities of street hawkers on

the city street corners.

Whilst goals are the broader picture of what the researcher wants to achieve

from doing the research, objectives denote the more concrete, measurable and

more speedily attainable conception of such a plan. Objectives can be defined

as steps a researcher has to take one by one at grass roots level, within a

certain time span in order to reach the goal (De Vos, 2011:94).

From my understanding research objectives are therefore the footsteps a

researcher follows for him/her to achieve the goals he set for him/herself. It is

therefore practically impossible to reach your goals as a researcher without

setting objectives. To reach my goal of understanding the realities of street

hawkers I therefore followed the following objectives.

− To obtain a sample of street hawkers on the city street corners.

− To conduct semi-structured interviews assisted by an interview

guide.

− To explore the realities of street hawkers on the city street

corners.

− To transcribe, sift, sort and analyse the data obtained by using the

eight steps of qualitative data analysis constructed by Tesch (in

Creswell as cited by Alpaslan, 2010:26).

− To describe the realities of street hawkers on the city street

corners.

− To analyse and interpret the data and do literature control in

order to verify the data obtained.

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− To draw conclusions and make recommendations for further

study related to the topic of the realities of street hawkers on city

street corners.

1.4 RESEARCH APPROACH

In view of the fact that various street hawkers experience their day to day

lives from different perspectives I therefore conducted my research using a

qualitative approach which enabled me to conduct face to face interactions

with the use of open ended questions to find out information from different

angles as suggested by Creswell (2003:21).

1.4.1 Definition of Qualitative research

Qualitative research can be defined as research that produces descriptive data

based upon spoken or written words and observable behaviour (Sherman &

Reid, 1994:1). Another set of authors define qualitative research as a broad

approach to the study of social phenomena which focuses on context whilst

respecting the humanity of the participants in the study (Marshall &

Rossman, 2011:1-3). It is further defined as an enquiry approach which is

very useful for exploring and understanding a central phenomenon (Creswell,

2008).

Creswell (2003:21) goes on and states that when using a qualitative approach

the researcher will make knowledge claims based on constructivist

perspectives or participatory perspectives. Meaning for the researcher to

develop various intended themes he/she has to go to where the people are and

collect open-ended emerging data from the people.

One can therefore conclude that qualitative research is a very useful approach

in conducting research about social phenomena whilst preserving the

participant’s humanity. It also provides room for correction and it is also the

best method to use when you want to explore certain social occurrences since

it gives the researcher an opportunity to go into the field and conduct open-

ended research to gather more data.

1.4.2 Characteristics of Qualitative research

In trying to identify the inherent characteristics of the Qualitative approach

various authors have come up with various terms to identify the

characteristics. However, even though they all use seemingly different terms

in describing the characteristics of qualitative research one cannot ignore the

resemblance in the data provided. Below is a listing of the various

characteristics as identified by various research authors.

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Creswell (2003:207) and Marshall and Rossman (2011:3) agree

on the fact that qualitative research takes place in the natural

setting. This means that the researcher usually goes to the natural

setting of the participant to conduct the research. The qualitative

researchers will then capture and discover meaning once they

become immersed in the data (Neuman, 2011:174).

Qualitative research is also said to use multiple methods that are

interactive and humanistic (Marshall & Rossman, 2011:3). The

researchers are therefore directly involved with the participants

and they are more concerned with building relationships first

before collecting the data they require (Creswell, 2003:208).

Data collection in usually conducted in an informal way which is

specific to the individual setting of the research (Neuman,

2011:174). This is further supported by Creswell (2003:208) and

Marshall & Roseman (2011:3) who state that qualitative research

is emergent rather than tightly prefigured. This means that the

research questions are not fixed, they may change as the

researcher learns new questions to ask and to whom they should

be asked. The data collection methods can also change as the

qualitative research unfolds (Creswell, 2003:208).

Data analysis proceeds by extracting generalizations or themes

from evidence and organising data to present a coherent,

consistent picture (Neuman, 2011:174). Creswell (2003:208)

supports this characteristic when he mentions that the qualitative

researcher makes an interpretation of the data findings which

includes a description of the individual or setting, analysing data

for themes and finally making an interpretation of the meaning of

the data, stating lessons learnt and providing recommendations for

further study.

When conducting qualitative research, the researcher makes sure

that he/she analyses the individual or setting under study as a

whole. Meaning the researcher will be involved in a macro and

not micro analysis (Creswell, 2003:209).

The qualitative researcher systematically reflects on who he or she

is in the inquiry and is sensitive to his or her personal biography

and how it shapes the study. This is strongly supported by

Creswell (2003:209) and Marshall & Rossman (2011:3). The

researcher is also the main instrument of data collection when

doing qualitative research (Streubert Speziale & Carpenter cited in

Alpaslan, 2010:13).

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1.4.3 When should one use qualitative approach?

The use of a qualitative approach when doing research is basically directed

by the research questions that the researcher intends to investigate (Corbin &

Strauss, 2008). Moreover, a researcher can use qualitative research if he/she

wants to get to the inner experience of participants to determine how

meanings are formed through and in culture (Corbin & Strauss, 2008). This

view is further supported by Stevens (n.d.) who states that qualitative

research can be used to find out about people’s experiences, priorities and

current knowledge. This simply means that for a researcher to get an inner

experience of participants and get to understand their priorities and current

knowledge he/she has to use a qualitative approach.

Qualitative approach should also be used when a researcher intends to

connect with the participants at a human level and not distance him/herself

from the people (Corbin & Strauss, 2008). It is also very useful when a

researcher wants to explore issues that he/she does not know what to expect

from the study or when he/she wants to define the problem or develop an

approach to the problem. It is therefore used when one wants to go deeper on

issues of interest or on issues which have been under researched (Mora:

2010). It is also used when the issue being investigated is very sensitive

(Alpaslan, 2010:15).

1.4.4 Motivation on Qualitative approach’s suitability for the study

The qualitative research approach was therefore suitable for the study on the

realities of street hawkers on the city street corners in the sense that when I

used this approach I was able to go to the natural setting of the participants.

They did not come to me; I went to them and got to understand them in their

natural environments. With this approach I was also able to get various

perspectives on the research question because with the use of open ended

questions various participants responded in different ways thus broadening

the information gathered. This approach enabled me to explore more on the

realities of street hawkers since there is not much literature on such.

1.5 RESEARCH DESIGN

Research design can be defined as a set of guidelines and instructions to be

followed in addressing the research problem. It is a strategic framework for

action that acts as a bridge between research questions and the execution of

the research. It therefore acts as a route planner which directs the researcher

on which direction to take for him/her to reach the goals of his research

(Blanche, 2006:49).

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An explorative design can best be used when a researcher wants to explore a

topic when the variables and theory base are unknown (Creswell, 2003:83) or

when the subject is very new and no one has yet explored it (Neuman,

2011:38). Morse (cited in Creswell, 2003) further supports this view when he

states that explorative design can be used when the concept to be studied is

immature due to lack of theory or due to the fact that the theory available is

inaccurate.

I also made use of a descriptive research design which helped me with the

description of the explored information. Descriptive research presented a

picture of the specific details about the realities of street hawkers on the city

street corners. In practice descriptive and explorative research works together

(Neuman 2011: 38). I therefore started by exploring the research topic to find

information and after exploration I then described the findings to bring out a

detailed picture of what had been explored. There was therefore a mutual

relationship between the two research designs; they both depended on each

other for perfect results.

In qualitative research, the researcher explores issues within a specific

context and the explored issues need to be described from that particular

context (Alpaslan 2010: 17). With this in mind I therefore made use of the

contextual design because I researched on the experiences of street hawkers

in the context of the realities of street hawkers on the city street corners.

1.6 POPULATION, SAMPLING AND SAMPLING METHOD

Roscoe (cited in Mouton, 2009:134) define a population as a collection of

objects, events or individuals having some common characteristics that the

researcher is interested in studying. Population can also be defined as the

abstract idea of a large group of many cases from which a researcher draws a

sample and to which results from a sample are generalized (Neuman,

2011:241). From generalizing the two definitions I can conclude that a

population has to have common characteristics and it is also a non-concrete

impression of a large group from which a sample is drawn.

When defining a population, the researcher must firstly identify the target

population which is the population one wishes to generalise (Mouton,

2009:135). The population for my proposed study was all the street hawkers

within the Sunnyside and Pretoria Central Business District (CBD) area who

have first-hand experience of being a street hawker.

Due to time and money constraints it was not practical to include the whole

population in the study so I drew out a sample of street hawkers to work with.

A sample is defined by Neuman (2011:240) as a small set of cases with the

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same characteristics of the study’s population selected by a researcher from a

large pool and generalised to the population.

For my study I used a non-probability sampling technique which is Purposive

sampling. It is defined as a strategy in which particular people are

intentionally selected for the information that they can provide which cannot

be gotten from other people (Maxwell, 2008:22). Neuman (2011:267) adds

on and says purposive sampling is a non-random sample in which the

researcher uses various methods to locate all possible cases of a specific and

difficult to find population.

I therefore used my judgement to look for street hawkers within the

Sunnyside and Pretoria CBD who were willing to participate in my research

and provided me with information about their lived experiences as street

vendors. Participants who met the following requirements were included in

the study:

• They must have been conducting their business either in

Sunnyside or Pretoria CBD.

• They were street hawkers on the city street corners.

• They must have been willing to participate in the study out of

their own accord knowing very well that there was no form of

payment to be received after participation.

• They must have had first-hand information about being a street

hawker. In other words they were not supposed to communicate

information they have heard from someone. It had to be their lived

experiences.

• They were also supposed to be street hawkers for a period of at

least six to twelve months.

To obtain the sample I went around the streets of Sunnyside and Pretoria

CBD. I did this in order to identify various probable male and female

participants for my research. I asked various street hawkers if they were

willing to participate in my research. To those who participated I asked them

to identify any other people whom they thought were able to participate in

this particular research (snowball sampling technique). From the participants

that I asked I managed to get one participant (through snowball sampling)

who agreed to do the research with me.

Snowball sampling technique involves approaching a single person

involved in the issue being investigated. After gathering data from that

particular person the researcher will ask the participant to refer him/her to

other people with similar cases (De Vos 2011: 393). Since I was doing

qualitative research for study purposes I was required to obtain a sample of

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four participants. There was therefore no need to reach data saturation as

suggested by De Vos (2011:393).

1.7 PREPARATION OF DATA COLLECTION AND METHODS OF

DATA COLLECTION

Over the years qualitative researchers have used various data collection

methods which range from participant observation to semi structured

interviews. For the purposes of this research project I used semi-structured

interviews in trying to gather data on the realities of street hawkers on the

city street corners. To assist me with a structure I made use of an interview

guide which is basically a list of tentative questions with a focus on the study

(Holloway & Wheeler cited in Alpaslan, 2010:22). Kvale (cited in Marshall

& Rossman, 2011:142) define qualitative interviews as a construction site of

knowledge where two or more individuals discuss a theme of mutual interest.

When conducting qualitative interviews participants are allowed to speak in a

way that they are comfortable and questions are asked in an open ended

manner to allow respondents explore on the topic which will be covered

(Green & Thorogood cited in Alpaslan, 2010:22).

When conducting semi-structured interviews, it is very important for the

researcher to know that questions from the interview guide may change and

be refined as the researcher learns what to ask and to whom it should be

asked (Creswell, 2003:208).

To compile a biographical profile of participants I recorded the gender of the

participants and asked the following questions:

− How old are you?

− Where do you live?

− What is your marital status?

− Do you have anyone who is dependent on you?

− What nationality are you from?

− What is your main language?

In order to gather information on the realities of street hawkers on the city

street corners I asked the following research questions focused on the study.

− How did you start selling goods on the street corners?

− How long have you been operating as a street hawker?

− What kinds of stuff (i.e. goods/wares/products) are you selling?

− Explain to me how one gets the business of becoming a street hawker

going. Can one just start her/his business of selling goods on the street

corners?

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− Explain to me a typical day for you as street hawker selling your

goods on the street corner?

− What challenges do you face as a street hawker?

− How do you cope with the challenges involved in your business?

− Why did you choose this specific place to sell your goods and not

somewhere else?

− Tell me more about how this business has worked for you?

− How does your family feel about your job of being a street hawker?

− Are there any opportunities for you to grow your business?

− What are the benefits of your business to your family?

− On average what income do you generate from your business as street

hawker?

− What support do you receive from government or the private sector?

− How is your family supportive to what you do?

− Do you belong to any association for Hawkers? If you have answered

yes, how does this support you? Or in what way do they support you?

− Tell me about your relationship with your fellow-hawkers?

− What are the benefits that you experience in your relationships with

your fellow-hawkers?

− What are the challenges that you experience in your relationships with

your fellow-hawkers?

− How are the challenges and/or differences between your fellow-

hawkers and yourself resolved?

As a way of preparing the research participants for the interviews I informed

them of who I am and the purpose of my study as shown in Addendum B. I

informed them that I want them to participate in semi structured interviews

because they are the experts of their experiences and are the best people to

find out information from. I provided them with the questions listed above in

advance so that they can familiarise with the guide. The right to choose the

venue and time of the interview was given to the participants and I informed

them that the interview will last for less than an hour thirty minutes. To

provide them with my full attention during the interview, I informed them

that I will use a tape recorder and that the recording will be destroyed soon

after transcribing the interview data. I also informed them that the data

obtained will be kept in a safe space and their details will remain

confidential. The above information on preparing participants was obtained

from Rogers and Bouey (cited in Alpaslan, 2010:33).

I used the following skills during the interviews with the participants;

probing, attentive listening, empathy (summarising information shared and

adding a feeling to confirm my understanding of the participant). There were

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some scenarios in which the respondents were not clear so I also asked them

to clarify what they were saying.

1.8 METHODS OF DATA ANALYSIS

For this particular research I used qualitative data analysis. Schwardt (cited in

De Vos, 2011:397) defines qualitative data analysis as the process of bringing

order, structure and meaning to the mass of collected data. Qualitative data

analysis can further be defined as a non-numerical examination and

interpretation of observations for the purpose of discovering underlying

meanings and patterns of relationships (Babbie cited in De Vos, 2011:401).

One can therefore conclude from the two definitions that qualitative data

analysis is a method of analysing data with the aim of compressing all the

information to bring about themes in a non-numerical way.

I analysed the data by preparing the data for analysis, I moved deeper and

deeper into understanding the data, representing the data, and making an

interpretation of the larger meaning of the data (Creswell, 2003:217). I also

made use of the eight steps of data analysis by Tesch (cited in Creswell,

2003: 219). See below.

1. I read all the transcriptions to get a sense of the whole research.

2. I then picked the most interesting transcript and read it again looking

for the implied messages in the story.

3. I continued doing step 2 for several participants and after that I made

a list of topics and then grouped them according to major topics,

unique topics and left-overs.

4. After compiling the list I then looked for a fitting abbreviation for

each major topic.

5. I then looked for the most descriptive words for my topics and

grouped them into various themes thus bringing similar topics

together.

6. I then made a final decision on the codes and I put them in

alphabetical order.

7. After that I assembled the data material belonging to each category in

one place and performed a preliminary analysis.

8. There was no need to recode the existing data so I went ahead and

started writing the report.

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1.9 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Neuman (2011:143) defines ethics as what is or is not legitimate to do or

what moral research procedure involves. Marshall and Rossman (2011:47)

further elaborate on the issue of ethics stating that ethical research practice is

grounded by moral principles or respect for persons. They go deeper and

mention that this principle entails that as researchers we do not use our

participants as a means to an end but we should respect their privacy,

anonymity and their right to participate or not, to which they consent.

To conduct my research I therefore followed the following ethical

considerations:

1.9.1 Informed consent: is a usually written statement that states and

explains aspects of the study to participants and asks for their

voluntary consent before the study begins (Neuman, 2011:149). To

obtain informed consent I drew up a consent form (Addendum B)

which basically stated the purpose of the research. It also reflected

that the participant’s participation is voluntary, that their identities

will be protected and that there will be minimum risk associated with

participating in the study, (Marshall & Rossman, 2011:47-48). This

information provided clear details for participants to know what they

were involving themselves in. After reading the consent form and

after I explained it to them, they made an informed voluntary decision

to participate in the research.

1.9.2 Anonymity: defined by Neuman (2011:152) as the ethical protection

that participants remain nameless, their identity is always protected

from disclosure and remains unknown. I therefore made sure that

when transcribing the data the participants remained nameless by

using a certain letter to identify particular participants. The full details

were therefore known only to me and to the general public, the

participants will remain anonymous.

1.9.3 Confidentiality: Neuman (2011:153) goes on and defines

confidentiality as the ethical protection or participants by holding

research data as a secret from the public. If the data is to be released,

the researcher will make sure that the data released will not link

specific individuals to specific responses. To follow this ethical

consideration I therefore presented the data obtained from participants

in themes so that the people who get hold of the document will not be

able to trace particular responses to particular participants.

1.9.4 Management of information: management of information goes hand

in hand with anonymity and confidentiality. It involves the protection

of data obtained from participants in a safe way, away from general

public. This includes interview transcripts, tape recorders and video

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recorders that might have been used during conducting the research

(Holloway & Wheeler cited in Alpaslan, 2010:32). To adhere to this

ethical consideration I made sure that all the tools used for collecting

data were locked in a private place where no other person was able to

get hold of them. I will also destroy the tapes used for recording as

soon as my research has been proved to be accepted by the Unisa

Social Work Department.

1.10 CLARIFICATION OF KEY CONCEPTS

Realities: ‘the state of things as they are or appear to be, rather than as one

might wish them to be’ (Reality, 2003).

Street hawker (vendor): ‘A person who offers goods or services for sale to

the public without having a permanent built up structure but with a temporary

static structure or mobile stall. Street vendors may be stationery by occupying

space on the pavements or other public areas…’ (Chopra, 2004). For the

purposes of this study a street hawker is someone who sells at a stationery

position in the city street corners.

City: ‘A centre of population, commerce, and culture; a town of significant

size and importance.’ (City, 2009).

1.11 PROBLEMS, CHALLENGES OR LIMITATIONS

ENCOUNTERED DURING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF

THE RESEARCH

Given the busy nature of the street hawker business, it was very difficult to

find participants who were willing to fully participate in the research and

leave their businesses unattended. Most of the hawkers I attended to would

say they are very busy and they do not have time to talk about their

experiences. Realizing this predicament I came up with a solution and asked

the participants to participate in the research whilst they were busy working.

At one point I had to help one of the hawkers attend to his customers whilst

we were busy doing the interview. The other solution was that I asked some

of the street hawkers the times that they were not busy so that I can come

back for the interview during that time.

With one of the street hawkers it was very difficult to maintain the flow of

the interview because every single minute there was a customer buying goods

from the hawker. I therefore had to pause the recoding and repeat the

questions to ensure that the participant understands.

- 19 -



When it comes to literature control the main challenge that I faced was to

find printed material related to the research on the realities of street hawkers.

To overcome this challenge I googled articles on the internet and I managed

to gather valuable data related to the research on the realities of street

hawkers on the city street corners.

Given the large and growing number of street hawkers within the CBD a

sample of four participants was not realistic. It was difficult to come up with

generalized conclusions on the realities of street hawkers on the city street

corners. To address to this problem I made sure that I selected participants

from different nationalities and different sites to ensure that I manage to get a

broader picture of the trade which enabled me to come up with generalised

conclusions on the trade as a whole.

1.12 OUTLINE OF THE RESEARCH

The research report is divided into the following chapters.

Chapter 1 consists of an introduction and general orientation of the research.

Focus was mainly on introduction, problem formulation and problem

statement. The researcher’s application of the qualitative research process

was discussed with reference to, research question, goal and objectives of the

research, research approach and design, ethical considerations, problems and

limitations of the research, clarification of key concepts and the content plan

of the research report.

Chapter two which follows will focus on the research findings which will be

presented and discussed in detail. The findings will then be compared and

contrasted with existing literature related to the topic.

Chapter three will focus on the overall conclusions and recommendations of

the research will also be provided.

- 20 -



CHAPTER TWO:

PRESENTATION OF THE RESEARCH

FINDINGS AND LITERATURE

CONTROL

- 21 -



2.1. INTRODUCTION

After conducting qualitative interviews with four research participants I will

therefore present the research findings by firstly providing a biographical

profile of the participants and secondly presenting the themes that emerged

from the process of data analysis. The themes which emerged and the

confirming quotations from the transcribed interviews (addendum A) will be

subjected to a literature control.

2.2. THE BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE OF THE PARTICIPANTS

What follows is the biographical details of the four research participants I

interviewed.

Participant A is a black Zimbabwean man, twenty seven (27) years of age. He

is married and has two children who are dependent on him. He started

operating as a hawker in South Africa since 2004.

Participant B is a black Ghanaian man, thirty seven (37) years of age. He has

been separated for seven years and he has one child who is dependent on him.

He has been operating as a hawker in South Africa for twelve (12) years.

Participant C is a black South African woman, thirty three (33) years of age.

She is single and supporting her four children on her own. She has been

operating as a hawker for about seven to eight years.

Participant D is a black Zimbabwean man, thirty (30) years of age. He is

married for five years and he is currently supporting his wife and two

children. He has been operating as a street hawker for three years.

Looking at the biographical information provided above I have concluded

that most of the participants who partook in the research on the realities of

street hawkers on the city street corners were male. Generally it is believed

that informal employment practices like hawking are ‘a larger source of

employment for women than for men in the developing world’ (Chen, Vanek

& Carr, 2004:26). The sample therefore contrasts with the provided literature.

Another source of literature provides an explanation on why there are more

men than women operating as street hawkers. Whilst doing research in Patna

(India), Bhowmik (n.d.) states that, the main reason why women were few

was that ‘they were afraid of the harassment they faced from different

quarters, such as males, the police and the municipal authorities.’

- 22 -



2.3. PRESENTATION OF THEMES AND LITERATURE

CONTROL

2.3.1 THEME 1: THINGS TO CONSIDER OR DO BEFORE ONE

BECOMES A STREET HAWKER.

Looking at the interviews conducted with the four participants it became

apparent that they considered a number of things before they started the

business of hawking on the city street corners. From the information gathered

all the participants considered how busy the selling site was before they

decided to sell on that particular spot. The following excerpts from the

transcripts attest to this:

“You can even consider site itself…I said site. That corner is very busy as I

told you morning and evening hours…”

“It is situated next to a complex…Sometimes you must look at the

environment, how busy will be the place…”

“…here in town its better than Mamelodi its better than where I am staying

when I compare. Its busy this side, most of the people they go up and down.”

“The other thing I considered how busy this place is. I discovered that this

place is very busy since there are school children…”

The importance of site to the street hawkers was confirmed by Chandler

(2002:182) who said that within the East London CBD area hawkers

considered position as very important and they put a lot of effort in selecting

the best position possible (Chandler, 2002:182).

From the research it also became evident that some participants also

considered proximity to their customers for the benefit of their business. The

following extract attest to this:

“…people [customers] they need fresh stuff especially early in the morning…

around seven I will be already at the corner and people they enjoy their fresh

stuff. Whereas I can’t manage from location coming to stock here you see it

will be very difficult.

These findings are supported by Walsh (2010) who in his research of street

vendors in Vietnam found out that vendors ‘sought to locate themselves in

places close to their customers.’

Of the four participants interviewed, one of the participants mentioned

proximity to his place of residence as one of the factors he considered before

- 23 -



he started the street hawker business. This is supported by the following

citation:

‘I considered proximity to where I am staying because I didn’t want to go

and work somewhere in Marabastad to work and then when I knock off I

have to walk again.’

Not all street hawkers consider this factor and research done by Bhowmik

(n.d.) in Patna India, provides information that only twenty one percent of the

participants sold their goods in areas close to their houses whilst fifty three

percent travelled for more than ten kilometres (Bhowmik, n.d.).

For those who are in the business of selling fruits availability of running

water and garbage bins was also considered before starting the street hawker

business as shown in the excerpt,

“like the business of fruits you have to consider the hygiene around the place.

You have to check if there are dustbins and water supply close by so that you

can wash your fruits.”

However, it is not always the case that such facilities will be provided. In a

research done on women in informal employment it was stated that, “The

physical environments in which they [street hawkers] work typically lack

proper infrastructure, such as clean running water, toilets, and solid waste

removal” (Street vendors, 2012). This proves that even though it is

considered by some hawkers it is not always the case that it will be provided.

2.3.2 THEME 2: CHALLENGES FACED BY STREET HAWKERS

AND HOW THEY COPE WITH THEM.

Information provided by the participants proved that street hawkers are

facing various challenges from diverse angles and they use a range of

strategies to cope with these challenges. From the data gathered three sub

themes emerged which are, challenges and coping strategies related to police

and licensing, challenges and coping strategies related to perishable goods

and challenges and coping strategies related to people and the environment.

The above subthemes are unpacked in the following discussion.

2.3.2.1 SUBTHEME 1: challenges and coping strategies related to police

and licensing.

From the interviews conducted with the four participants it became clear that

operating as a street hawker without a licence will always bring trouble with

the police. All the participants shared that the police always disturbed their

day to day business operations. The following quotations confirm this:

- 24 -



“If there is an operation they [Metro Police] disturb us so much we cannot

even manage to sell because they do not even like to give us some licences.”

“Becoming a street vendor without a licence is also a problem you know

these metro operators they will frustrate you until you yourself you leave it…

They come and take your stock away…”

“…the traffic was taking my staff…we were not having the permit by that

time so they were taking the stock…”

“If you don’t have a licence you will be in trouble with the city council… they

come and take your stuff”

In Berry’s (2009) research on the challenges and coping strategies of female

street vendors it was confirmed that Police harass street hawkers and

victimise them by confiscating their goods. Bhowmik (n.d.) went on and said,

“The harassment vendors [hawkers] faced at work are mainly related to their

illegal status. Municipal authorities and police raid their places and confiscate

their goods.” The literature therefore attests to the fact that unlicensed street

hawkers are harassed and victimised by the police and this confirms the

findings of my research.

However, even though the street hawkers are harassed more often than not,

they remain vigilant and they are not willing to stop operating as street

hawkers. To cope with the challenges of metro police and licensing they have

come up with various strategies which have been helping them move on with

their businesses.

Two of the research participants provided information that they have

obtained licenses in order for them to deal with the challenge of the Metro

police harassment and confiscation of goods. The following citations validate

this:

“…but now I have got a licence so I operate with confidence”

“We were not having the permit by that time so they were taking the

stock…yes we got the permit now we pay for the stand”

The findings suggest that obtaining a licence will ease the pressure from the

Metro police and this gives street hawkers confidence to operate since they

will be legal operators. In the document for national policy for urban street

vendors it was mentioned that giving out licences would give street hawkers

a legal status thus doing away with the ‘harassment, extortion and eviction by

the concerned authorities’ (Chopra, 2004).

It was also found out that to cope with the challenges of goods being

confiscated; the hawkers would go and pay a fine for them to get their goods

- 25 -



back. This however applied to the hawkers who were not having licences.

The quotes to confirm this are below:

“…we go to pay and bring the stuff again…and sell again”

“…they write you a fine you go and pay then you have your stock.”

“When they take your stuff you have to go and pay in order for you to collect

your stuff…”

In Bhowmik’s (n.d.) research on the hawkers in Bhubaneshwar (India) it was

found that hawkers in this city also pay fines to the city authorities for them

to get their goods back. It therefore became apparent that paying of fines does

not only happen in Pretoria CBD (South Africa) it also happens in other

countries.

2.3.2.2 SUBTHEME 2: challenges and coping skills related to perishable

goods.

All my research participants were selling perishable goods like fruits and

vegetables. Given the nature of the goods that they are selling they

experience challenges with some of the goods getting rotten. Exploration was

done on this particular challenge and the following findings were recorded:

“…like what we are selling is perishable, they do not want to be kept for a

long time without being sold…those are perishable goods. If two are rotten

you throw them away”

“…some other things I throw it away there is nothing to do because it’s

rotten already.”

Previous research findings prove that hawkers who sell perishable goods are

more vulnerable to losses than hawkers who sell non-perishable goods (Street

vendors, 2012). Chopra (2004) also confirmed this in the following quote,

“Street vendors [hawkers] are vulnerable to loss of goods due to natural as

well as manmade disturbances…”

Despite facing the challenges brought about by perishable goods, the street

hawkers still carry on with their businesses. They have devised coping

mechanisms which seem to be working for them and for their business. The

following excerpts provide information on the strategies used by the street

hawkers:

“…Forget about this getting rotten, all you need to do is to strategise. You

look at the market then you make it [perishable goods] affordable so that’s

it”

- 26 -



“What we do is that if we see that the life span of a fruit or veggie is getting

finished we put more…”

“Some other things I throw it away there is nothing to do because it’s rotten

already. But some other maybe I can eat or I can give these guys [street

kids]…”

Attempts to finding supporting literature on the above coping skills were to

no avail. However, Chopra (2004) suggested that special insurance schemes

should be devised to cover for the losses which the hawkers go through as a

result of natural and manmade disturbances.

2.3.2.3 SUBTHEME 3: challenges and coping skills related to people and

the environment.

Of the four participants interviewed, the female participant mentioned the

issue of criminal activities directed towards her business by the street kids.

The following excerpt attest to this:

“Street kids they used to steal sometimes because as you can see this place is

not covered”

However, these findings were not common amongst men and previous

research findings confirm that female hawkers are more vulnerable to high

criminal levels than men (Berry, 2009). According to feminist theorists the

violence against women is mainly related to the inequality between women

and men in the broader society. Inequality is therefore believed to be the

major cause of high crime levels towards women (Bograd cited in Berry,

2009).

To cope with this challenge the female hawker shared that she plays a

parental role by talking to the street kids as attested by the following quote:

“Sometimes I see them and I call them and I talk to them…I just talk to them

as a parent.”

Research done by Berry (2009) on women street hawkers in Khayelitsha

provided information that to cope with the challenge; they used to close their

businesses early on a Friday night to avoid being harassed by drunken men

and gangsters (Berry, 2009). These research findings by Berry therefore

contrast with the coping strategy for this particular street hawker.

The research findings from three of the four participants interviewed showed

that the street hawkers are also facing challenges related to the environment

and weather changes. It became evident that the street hawkers experience a

- 27 -



major challenge when it is raining given the fact that they do not have

permanent covered shades to operate from. The following quotations confirm

these findings:

“The problem is it’s [the vending stand] not covered and sometimes when it’s

raining we can’t sell even if we sell the rain is still coming”

“It’s like we have got seasons. Rainy season if it is raining no one can stop

on the streets and say he wants to buy this when it is raining.”

“…if it is raining I am selling some simba [corn chips] so if they get wet it

will be a loss.”

Challenges related to environmental and seasonal changes were confirmed by

Chen et al (2004:47). It was found that informal traders in India who operated

from uncovered areas were affected by the lack of sun and dry spells during

the monsoon season (Chen et al., 2004:47). In the research done on street

hawkers in Gauteng the above findings were further confirmed by the

following statement, “…both male and female vendors were exposed to

extreme temperatures, wind, rain and sun. This had an impact on business as

all trading stopped when it rained” (Berry: 2009). These findings are

therefore confirmation that weather changes affect street hawkers who do not

have proper shades to operate from.

One of the street hawkers mentioned that to cope with this challenge he runs

to the shade.

“Even when it is raining I can go to the shade”

However, it is believed that for hawkers to cope with the challenge of

changing weather conditions they have to have a legal status which will

enable them to obtain fixed structures, thus preventing them from certain

environmental risks (Street vendors, 2012).

2.3.3 THEME 3: HOW THE STREET HAWKER BUSINESS HAS

WORKED FOR THE STREET HAWKER AND HIS FAMILY

Findings from the participants were an indication that the street hawker

business has helped street hawkers support and provide food for their

respective families. The following quotations attest to this:

“I am managing to keep my family in fact let me just start with my wife and

my children. I am even managing to pay my rentals, to buy them food and

whatever they want…”

- 28 -



“…it has helped a lot. It has helped me raise my family so I cannot say it is

bad. That is where I get my daily bread…”

“…the main thing is I am surviving and as I said before I am a breadwinner

and I am surviving on these things…”

“…it [street hawker business] helped me…even for supporting my kids.”

These findings about the street hawker business playing a major role in

supporting families were confirmed by Moloto (2007) whom in his speech at

a conference for African Co-Operative for Hawkers and Informal Business

conference uttered the following words: “For many, hawking is a form of

survival rather than a business… the little money generated by informal

traders, is able to put a meal on someone's table.”

Further on, it also became clear that besides supporting their families the

street hawkers are also doing other things with the money raised through

street hawking. Two mentioned that they are building houses; one mentioned

that he bought a car and one mentioned that she is paying for her studies. The

following transcripts attest to this:

“I managed to raise as much as I did and I bought a car.”

“It helped me because even now I am studying because of this table. I am

doing nursing and I have just finished my first year…”

“Even home [Zimbabwe] I am building as well you see.”

“…the other thing I am building back home [Zimbabwe] using money from

this business.”

It is therefore clear that for these particular hawkers the street hawker

business has been working out good for them. Given the fact that a number of

people are being involved in the trade and benefitting from it, Chen et al

(2004:30) stated that the informal economy will need to be the main focus in

trying to alleviate poverty. This contrasts with the general research findings

which claim that the street hawker business is the most poorest and most

economically vulnerable of all the informal economies as stated by Brata

(2008).

2.3.4 THEME 4: CHANCES FOR THE STREET HAWKERS TO

GROW THEIR BUSINESS

Of the four participants I interviewed, two clearly mentioned that they would

want to advance their businesses and do something else; one mentioned that

she would want to continue with the same business but advance it, whilst the

- 29 -



other participant wanted his dream to remain a secret. The following excerpts

confirm this:

“…when I see that my money is enough for a certain business, an affordable

one then I will jump to another step… I still work on my corner at least I do

something big like opening a shop...”

“… I am busy planning to open an internet café because I do not want to

continue selling on the streets.”

“…just to make it bigger [the business] than this. Maybe continue selling the

same thing but with the bags not just only the small ones like one, one”

It is therefore clear that the participants actually thought about diversifying

their businesses in order for them to enhance themselves. Three of the

participants, had clear dreams for enhancing their businesses. These findings

contrast with Walsh’s (2010) findings on the street hawkers in Vung Tau

(Vietnam). After doing his research, Walsh (2010) found out that ‘few

hawkers thought of investing more in their businesses for subsequent

development apart from trying to obtain better quality supplies.’ The hawkers

in my study are actually willing to invest and focus on other business angles.

2.3.5 THEME 5: SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR THE STREET

HAWKERS

The research findings related to this theme attest to the fact that three of the

street hawkers receive support mainly from their families who encourage and

help them with finances when they are in times of need. The following quotes

confirm this:

“…they are encouraging me to do something bigger than being a hawker…”

“…I did not even have enough money to start so I ask my sister to help me

and I used that small amount and started to buy the sweets.”

“…only when I have financial problems I can tell them and they will be able

to help.”

It is therefore evident that street hawkers need the support that they get from

their family for them to continue with their businesses. Available literature

provides information that family support is really required by street hawkers.

It was found that they normally receive support from their wives and one or

two of their children (Bhowmik, n.d.). However, Bhowmik’s (n.d.) findings

on the street hawkers in Patna (India) show that family support is mainly

- 30 -



required on procuring the goods and preparing them for sell. This therefore

differs with the kind of support the hawkers in this research receive.

Whilst doing the research it also became evident that three of the research

participants were not receiving any form of support from the government or

the private sector. Also none of the participants belonged to any street hawker

association. It was therefore clear that the major support system that the street

hawkers get comes from their respective families. These findings are

supported by Walsh (2010) who also found out that hawkers in Vung Tau

(Vietnam) reported little interaction with external agents in performing their

businesses.

2.4 CONCLUSION TO THE CHAPTER

In this chapter the research findings on the realities of street hawkers on the

city street corners were presented and validated using existing literature. It

became clear that street hawkers consider site, proximity to customers, and

proximity to place of residence and also the availability of running water and

dust bins before they start with their operations.

The findings also provided information on the various challenges faced by

the hawkers and the coping strategies which they use. Data was presented on

the challenges and coping strategies related to police and licensing,

challenges and coping strategies related to perishable goods and challenges

and coping skills related to people and the environment.

Further on, focus was made on how the street hawker business has worked

for the hawkers and their families. It also became apparent that there are

chances for the street hawkers to grow their businesses and focus on

something big given the kind of support they receive from their families.

The next chapter will focus on the conclusions and recommendations based

on the findings presented in this chapter.

- 31 -



CHAPTER 3:

CONCLUSIONS AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

- 32 -



3.1 INTRODUCTION

Now that the research findings have been presented, it is of paramount

importance that conclusions are drafted and recommendations for future

research are made. What follows are the conclusions based on the research

process and the research findings and also the recommendations for further

study.

3.2 CONCLUSIONS BASED ON THE RESEARCH PROCESS

AND THE RESEACH FINDINGS

After conducting the research and presenting the data, I conclude that the

research findings have been able to provide clarity on the research question

which was what are the realities of street hawkers on the city street corners?

An understanding was also developed on the realities of the street hawkers on

the city street corners which was the goal of the study. The use of a

qualitative research method was very beneficial for the study in the sense that

it enabled participants to express themselves fully leading to a clear

exploration of the research topic.

When it comes to the research findings I conclude that it is very difficult for

street hawkers to operate without proper documentation for they are

vulnerable to police harassment and confiscation of goods. I also conclude

that it is of paramount importance that street hawkers be situated in areas

where there are a lot of people for this helps in terms of daily customer flows.

It is difficult for street hawkers to operate without proper structures for they

are exposed to various environmental changes which interfere with their daily

operations.

Looking at the kind of achievements done by the street hawkers in my study I

can conclude that the street hawker business is slowly becoming a major

source of income for most people and with the support given by family

members one can conclude that the street hawkers in my research are

destined for bigger business ventures.

It is a reality that most of the street hawkers are not receiving any form of

support from the government or private sector, neither do they belong to any

street hawker association. I conclude that this affects their business practices

because they do not have any outsider to support and guide them in their

business practices.

- 33 -



3.3 RECOMMENDATIONS

3.3.1 Recommendations pertaining to the research process

• I recommend that students should be exposed more to the practical

part of the qualitative research process.

• I recommend that students should start early with their research in

order for them to produce quality work because a qualitative research

process is time consuming and requires a lot of input from the

researcher.

3.3.2 Recommendations pertaining to the research findings

• Given the fact that a lot of street hawkers are suffering police

harassment and confiscation of goods because they do not have

licences, I recommend that the government or city planners provide

licences to the majority of street hawkers for they play a major role in

the economy by curbing unemployment.

• Most street vendors operate without vending stands and they are

exposed to various environmental disturbances which affect their

business practices, I therefore recommend that city planners provide

more vending stands for the street hawkers to operate from.

• The research findings provided information that there is no support

from government and the private sector, government and private

sector support is therefore recommended to assist street hawkers in

achieving their set goals.

• Most street hawkers are not part of the street hawker associations

around them and as a result they are disadvantaged in many ways, I

therefore recommend that awareness programs be run to create

awareness on the various associations available for street hawkers,

their benefits and how the normal street hawker can be able to

approach them.

3.3.3 Recommendations pertaining to further and future research

• Given the fact that the research was based on a small sample of four

participants it was therefore not a reflection of all the street hawkers

in Sunnyside and Pretoria CBD, I therefore recommend that a follow

up study be done which will encompass a larger sample which will

provide a true reflection of the street hawker business in the stated

areas.

• In view of the fact that the woman who participated in the research

mentioned that she has trouble with street kids who steal her goods, I

- 34 -



recommend that further research be done on the challenges faced by

women street vendors in Sunnyside and Pretoria CBD.

• The biographical details provide information that in this particular

research there were more men than women who participated. This

contrasts with the general perception that women dominate the street

hawker business. I therefore recommend that further research should

be done on why there are more men and less women operating as

street hawkers within Sunnyside and Pretoria CBD

3.4 CONCLUSIONS OF THE CHAPTER

In this chapter conclusions based on the research process and the research

findings were given. Recommendations were also given on the qualitative

research process, research findings and also on future study and future

research.

- 35 -



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