Small traders operating at the busy Havana four-way-stop in Windhoek said road construction and a lack of trading facilities are making it difficult and unsafe for them to run their businesses.
Lydia Malakia, a vendor at the informal settlement’s stop, has built a small stand that operates like a mini market. The business, which started as a small table selling snacks and mobile credit, has grown into a small grocery outlet serving residents and commuters in the area.
She said she began trading in 2013, selling sweets, Nik Naks and mobile airtime to passers-by.
“I am just an ordinary citizen and a resident of Havana. I started with selling sweets, Nik Naks and credit. When customers asked for items like sugar, I added sugar to my stock. When they asked for salt, I added salt. Slowly, I increased my stock until it became what you see here today,” she said.
The small shop now sells basic groceries used by many households in the surrounding community.
According to Malakia, the business supports her family and helps cover school costs and daily household needs.
“This is how my family and I survive. I use this business to pay for school expenses and all the other basic needs in my household,” she said.
However, traders said ongoing road construction around the four-way stop has created challenges for their operations.
Malakia explained that many vendors are now operating amid construction activity, which makes it difficult to operate safely and attract customers.
“As small business owners here at the Havana four-way, our businesses are now in the middle of road construction. It is not a conducive space for us to work,” she said.
She believes the situation could improve if vendors were allocated a designated trading space.
“It would be better if we had a space reserved for us, like a mini market. It would help us a lot,” she said.
Security is another concern for traders in the area. Because there are no storage facilities, vendors are forced to bring their stock to the site very early each morning.
She said traders often start preparing and transporting their goods between 03h30 and 04h00.
“We have no facility that accommodates us.
We must prepare our stock and start packing from as early as 03h30 or 04h00 in the morning,” she said.
She added that the early hours expose traders to safety risks.
“It is sometimes not safe because of street kids and robbers. We need police protection here, especially in the early morning hours,” Malakia said.
Vendors are also calling for basic infrastructure such as shelters or a market area where they can safely store their goods.
“A market area would help us a lot so that we do not have to pack and unpack every day at 03h00 while also worrying about robberies,” she said.