The potential financial upliftment of inner-city street traders through the provision of rental stands

Abstract

Historically, policy applied to the informal sector in the Southern African context has been either (i) ‘restrictive’, or aimed at the elimination or eradication of the sector; or has been (ii) ‘promotive’, or aimed at the financial upliftment of certain informal participants in order to enable the potential for economic developmental inherent in the sector. This research provides evidence of the financial impact of one such ‘promotive’ intervention: the provision of street-trader rental stands by local government. Using survey data from 2008, 2009, and 2010, an exploratory parametric research design is applied, using t-tests, Pearson point biserial tests, partial correlation analysis, chi-squared tests and multiple linear regression. Results suggest that the provision of rental stands can (i) significantly reduce gender inequality in earnings; enable traders (ii) to work more hours a day; (iii) to offer more capital-intensive product offerings; and (iv) to obtain higher gross daily earnings.