No shade, no salary: Highway traders’ hustle for survival
Quiet grind powers Namibia’s small-trader economy
Meet the informal entrepreneurs who, despite the heat, dust and daily struggle to attract paying customers, have carved out a roadside economy that helps keep rural families afloat.
Life along the B8 road between Rundu and Divundu is more than just the hum of passing vehicles and long stretches of tar.
For some, it’s the very lifeline that keeps their dreams alive and puts bread on the table.
On Monday, Ewi lyaNooli visited this stretch of road and spoke to locals whose daily hustle along the roadside paints a powerful picture of resilience.
The sculptor
Teodor Mbwangungu, a 39-year-old sculptor from the Ndonga Linena constituency, has spent the last two years carving logs into beautiful objects of art.
Set up just off the highway, his wooden masterpieces, ranging from owls to traditional masks and intricate animals, greet curious travellers every day.
But turning passion into profit has proven to be a frequent uphill struggle.
"Some months, I only get around three customers, sometimes none at all," Mbwangungu said.
“It’s tough, but I keep going. This is what I know, and I believe someone out there will appreciate the art."
His sculptures are priced between N$200 and N$800, depending on size and detail. While sales are unpredictable, the passion for his craft is unmistakable.
“When someone finally buys a piece, it gives me new energy to keep working,” he explained, while chiselling at a half-finished kudu head.
The brickmaker
A few kilometres down the same road, we met Lukas Shininga, a 31-year-old brickmaker from Kayova village.
With sun-baked hands and a quiet pride, Shininga explained how he moulds and sells bricks by the roadside using basic tools and a small water drum.
“I make around three to four bricks a day, or if things go well, maybe 250 to 300 bricks a week,” he said. “It’s hard work – sometimes I’m out here the whole day, and I don’t even sell one.”
Each brick sells for N$2.50, and if all goes well, he might earn between N$600 and N$700 in a week – but such weeks are rare.
“Some days, I just sit and wait. The sun is hot, and I still have to go home with empty hands. But I can’t give up,” he shared, wiping sweat from his forehead.
The firewood and grass seller
Further east, under the shade of a camelthorn tree, we spoke to Martha Nankunda, a 44-year-old entrepreneur and mother of four, who sells firewood, traditional logs like mutondo and mukwa and thatching grass.
“I’ve been doing this for six years,” she said. “I collect the wood myself or buy it from people in nearby villages."
A bundle goes for N$20 to N$50, depending on the type, she added.
On a good day, Martha makes up to N$300, which she uses to feed her children and pay school fees.
“These small jobs keep our families alive,” she said, waving at a customer pulling off the road.
[email protected]
For some, it’s the very lifeline that keeps their dreams alive and puts bread on the table.
On Monday, Ewi lyaNooli visited this stretch of road and spoke to locals whose daily hustle along the roadside paints a powerful picture of resilience.
The sculptor
Teodor Mbwangungu, a 39-year-old sculptor from the Ndonga Linena constituency, has spent the last two years carving logs into beautiful objects of art.
Set up just off the highway, his wooden masterpieces, ranging from owls to traditional masks and intricate animals, greet curious travellers every day.
But turning passion into profit has proven to be a frequent uphill struggle.
"Some months, I only get around three customers, sometimes none at all," Mbwangungu said.
“It’s tough, but I keep going. This is what I know, and I believe someone out there will appreciate the art."
His sculptures are priced between N$200 and N$800, depending on size and detail. While sales are unpredictable, the passion for his craft is unmistakable.
“When someone finally buys a piece, it gives me new energy to keep working,” he explained, while chiselling at a half-finished kudu head.
The brickmaker
A few kilometres down the same road, we met Lukas Shininga, a 31-year-old brickmaker from Kayova village.
With sun-baked hands and a quiet pride, Shininga explained how he moulds and sells bricks by the roadside using basic tools and a small water drum.
“I make around three to four bricks a day, or if things go well, maybe 250 to 300 bricks a week,” he said. “It’s hard work – sometimes I’m out here the whole day, and I don’t even sell one.”
Each brick sells for N$2.50, and if all goes well, he might earn between N$600 and N$700 in a week – but such weeks are rare.
“Some days, I just sit and wait. The sun is hot, and I still have to go home with empty hands. But I can’t give up,” he shared, wiping sweat from his forehead.
The firewood and grass seller
Further east, under the shade of a camelthorn tree, we spoke to Martha Nankunda, a 44-year-old entrepreneur and mother of four, who sells firewood, traditional logs like mutondo and mukwa and thatching grass.
“I’ve been doing this for six years,” she said. “I collect the wood myself or buy it from people in nearby villages."
A bundle goes for N$20 to N$50, depending on the type, she added.
On a good day, Martha makes up to N$300, which she uses to feed her children and pay school fees.
“These small jobs keep our families alive,” she said, waving at a customer pulling off the road.
[email protected]
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article