Rundu vendors brave long walks to earn a living

While many residents are still asleep, street vendors in Rundu have already started preparing for another day of trading, some walking as far as eight kilometres from their homes to the town centre in search of customers and income to support their families.

For these Kavango East informal traders, the long, daily trek is driven by the need to survive amid limited job opportunities.

Without stable jobs or reliable transport, they depend on street vending as their main source of income, despite the long distances, unpredictable sales and difficult conditions.

Namibian Sun last week joined three vendors who shared the realities of making a living on the streets of Rundu.

Among them is Johanna Shingereshu from Tuhingireni informal settlement, whose day begins long before sunrise.

She spends part of the night baking traditional mahangu bread made from pearl millet before preparing for the walk into town.

With a basket of freshly baked bread balanced on her head, Shingereshu moves around town looking for customers, hoping to sell enough to support herself and her children.

On a good day, she earns around N$150 from selling mahangu bread. However, after spending about N$50 on sugar and other ingredients, Shingereshu is left with approximately N$100.

"The money helps me take care of myself and provide for my children," she told Namibian Sun.

Shingereshu sells each piece of mahangu bread for N$5.

She admits that although the business is physically demanding, it allows her to earn an honest income.

An honest day’s work

Another vendor, Zee Kapoko from Kaisosi, said he turned to street vending after failing to find formal employment. He said he chose the business because he wanted to earn a living through honest work rather than resorting to crime.

Kapoko sells various products, including bags, women's accessories, sewing threads and small solar systems, some of which he buys from Chinese-owned shops before reselling them.

The father of four said street vending helps him provide for his children and meet his family's daily needs.

"I started this business because I wanted to earn an honest living instead of getting involved in crime," he said.

Kapoko added that although his income is slim, it remains an important source of support for his family.

"I do not make a lot of money, but whatever I earn helps me support my family," he said.

The vendors said street trading comes with many challenges. Besides walking long distances each day, they spend hours on the streets in all kinds of weather and difficult conditions, sometimes returning home without making enough – or any – sales.

Critical lack of formal jobs

Despite these hardships, they remain committed, saying street vending gives them an opportunity to survive while maintaining their dignity.

Their struggles reflect the wider unemployment challenges facing the Kavango East region, where youth unemployment stands at more than 60%.

Governor Hamunyera Hambyuka has acknowledged the seriousness of the problem and has vowed to prioritise youth employment through initiatives aimed at supporting entrepreneurship, attracting investment and creating more opportunities for young people.