Vendors overwhelm Stop & Shop in Okuryangava, defying city bylaws
Hundreds of street vendors selling their wares at the Stop & Shop in Okuryangava in Windhoek continue to flout municipal regulations by setting up stalls on pavements and parking spaces, despite the nearby Tukondjeni Market.
The encroachment has heightened safety risks for pedestrians and motorists and raised concerns over the hygiene of food and goods sold outside designated trading areas.
The City of Windhoek says the issue stems from limited infrastructure, as the number of informal traders continues to rise rapidly in the capital.
Vendors, moreover, argue that their decision to trade outside formal markets reflects limited livelihood options, not a deliberate disregard for municipal rules.
Spilling over
Tukondjeni Market can accommodate only 218 traders, yet more than 500 vendors operate beyond approved boundaries, placing the area under strain.
“These unregistered operators are considered illegal, and the activities of vendors operating on road reserves endanger lives and trade under unhygienic conditions,” City spokesperson Lydia Amutenya told Namibian Sun.
Amutenya said the City Police Bylaws Unit conducts daily operations to curb unsafe trading.
She added that the council is exploring alternative sites, including Erf 921 in Okuryangava, which could be upgraded with basic facilities to absorb the growing number of traders.
Enforcement struggles
Windhoek’s informal trading sector is expanding faster than the City’s ability to regulate it, the City has confirmed.
While enforcement relies on municipal by-laws and informal trading regulations, entry into the sector remains largely uncontrolled, resulting in a steady increase in operators.
“The number of operators keeps increasing, which creates unlimited demands on the council for the creation of suitable sites,” Amutenya noted.
She confirmed that the informal trading regulations, first gazetted in 1999 and reviewed in 2007, are currently under review.
Survival, not defiance
For many traders, selling outside formal markets is a matter of survival rather than defiance.
Justin Heitah, a resident of Ombili in Katutura, said she has been selling from the roadside for four years, earning between N$500 and N$600 a day on average.
“We used to make significant income before, but now there are too many traders here, so clients have more options,” she said.
Heitah also highlighted safety risks, noting that stalls are set up dangerously close to the road.
“Just last week, a motorist frustrated by road congestion ran over a stall with fruits and drove away," she said.
"We can’t even complain to the City Police, as they often tell us our operations are illegal. We honestly want a conducive place to trade, but it must be central to clients for us to survive,” Heitah pointed out.
Capital constraints
To balance public safety with economic realities, the City has rolled out a market master plan across its suburbs, aimed at establishing properly equipped trading areas with running water, ablution facilities and space for food trucks and small businesses.
The City says it has established 18 markets so far and identified a further 20 sites for future development.
However, funding constraints and high maintenance costs continue to slow progress.
City spokesperson Lydia Amutenya said the municipality recognises Windhoek’s high unemployment rate but called on traders to cooperate.
“The council would ideally construct markets where needed, but capital is limited,” she confirmed, underscoring the ongoing tension between economic survival and public safety.
The encroachment has heightened safety risks for pedestrians and motorists and raised concerns over the hygiene of food and goods sold outside designated trading areas.
The City of Windhoek says the issue stems from limited infrastructure, as the number of informal traders continues to rise rapidly in the capital.
Vendors, moreover, argue that their decision to trade outside formal markets reflects limited livelihood options, not a deliberate disregard for municipal rules.
Spilling over
Tukondjeni Market can accommodate only 218 traders, yet more than 500 vendors operate beyond approved boundaries, placing the area under strain.
“These unregistered operators are considered illegal, and the activities of vendors operating on road reserves endanger lives and trade under unhygienic conditions,” City spokesperson Lydia Amutenya told Namibian Sun.
Amutenya said the City Police Bylaws Unit conducts daily operations to curb unsafe trading.
She added that the council is exploring alternative sites, including Erf 921 in Okuryangava, which could be upgraded with basic facilities to absorb the growing number of traders.
Enforcement struggles
Windhoek’s informal trading sector is expanding faster than the City’s ability to regulate it, the City has confirmed.
While enforcement relies on municipal by-laws and informal trading regulations, entry into the sector remains largely uncontrolled, resulting in a steady increase in operators.
“The number of operators keeps increasing, which creates unlimited demands on the council for the creation of suitable sites,” Amutenya noted.
She confirmed that the informal trading regulations, first gazetted in 1999 and reviewed in 2007, are currently under review.
Survival, not defiance
For many traders, selling outside formal markets is a matter of survival rather than defiance.
Justin Heitah, a resident of Ombili in Katutura, said she has been selling from the roadside for four years, earning between N$500 and N$600 a day on average.
“We used to make significant income before, but now there are too many traders here, so clients have more options,” she said.
Heitah also highlighted safety risks, noting that stalls are set up dangerously close to the road.
“Just last week, a motorist frustrated by road congestion ran over a stall with fruits and drove away," she said.
"We can’t even complain to the City Police, as they often tell us our operations are illegal. We honestly want a conducive place to trade, but it must be central to clients for us to survive,” Heitah pointed out.
Capital constraints
To balance public safety with economic realities, the City has rolled out a market master plan across its suburbs, aimed at establishing properly equipped trading areas with running water, ablution facilities and space for food trucks and small businesses.
The City says it has established 18 markets so far and identified a further 20 sites for future development.
However, funding constraints and high maintenance costs continue to slow progress.
City spokesperson Lydia Amutenya said the municipality recognises Windhoek’s high unemployment rate but called on traders to cooperate.
“The council would ideally construct markets where needed, but capital is limited,” she confirmed, underscoring the ongoing tension between economic survival and public safety.
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