streetvendingactivities[commodities,placeoftrade.docVIP

Background Paper for the 2005 World Development Report STREET VENDING IN AFRICAN CITIES: A SYNTHESIS OF EMPIRICAL FINDINGS FROM KENYA, COTE D’IVOIRE, GHANA, ZIMBABWE, UGANDA AND SOUTH AFRICA Winnie V. Mitullah WIEGO Urban Policies Programme Director University of Nairobi Institute for Development Studies e-mail: wvmitullah@ 16th August 2003 Abstract This report is a synthesis of six case studies on street vending in Africa. The case studies re drawn from Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Cote DIvoire and South Africa. The synthesis of the case studies arose out of a World Bank invitation to Women In Employment Globalising and Organising [WIEGO] to contribute to its forthcoming World Development Report [WDR] focusing on the theme `Investment Climate. The main interest of the World Bank is the assessment of constraints to business growth in the informal economy. Those working in the informal economy work in unregulated and unprotected environments that are not conducive to business. The synthesis of the six case studies assesses the business/environment constraints for street vendors and the responses made by various stakeholders including the vendors themselves. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect official views of the World Bank.1: BACKGROUND 1.1 Introduction This report is a synthesis of six case studies on street vending in Africa. The case studies re drawn from Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Cote DIvoire and South Africa. The synthesis of the case studies arose out of a World Bank invitation to Women In Employment Globalising and Organising [WIEGO] to contribute to its forthcoming World Development Report [WDR] focusing on the theme `Investment Climate. The main interest of the World Bank is the assessment of constraints to business growth in the informal economy. Those working in the informal economy work in unregulated and unprotected environments that are not conducive to business. The