Dorado Valley relocation leaves vendors counting losses

Street vendors relocated to the Dorado Valley U-Save shopping area say the new trading site is hurting their livelihoods, with one vendor reporting that she recently made as little as N$10 a day.

The 32-year-old vendor, who says she has been selling in the area for more than 10 years, told Namibian Sun that she trades from 08:00 to 17:00 but has struggled to attract customers since the relocation.

“There are people drinking and smoking [dagga] there because there is a bar. Our customers don’t go there,” she said.

The vendors were moved following a City of Windhoek enforcement operation on 27 July.

The relocation followed complaints from Dorado Valley residents about street vending in the area. In a letter dated 27 August 2026, residents raised concerns about sanitation, alleging that some vendors use nearby bushes as toilets because there are no public toilet facilities.