The struggle for the streets: processes of exclusion and inclusion of street traders in Durban, South Africa

Abstract

Millions of people worldwide make a living selling goods on the streets. This article traces the ebbs and flows of exclusion and inclusion of street traders from Durban's public spaces from the 1920s to the present. It shows that over time the city has, variously, expelled traders, allowed unmanaged trading and actively incorporated traders into urban plans. It suggests that there is an ongoing struggle for access to the streets, and draws attention to the role of the national and local state, as well as local political struggles. The history of street trading in Durban provides useful material for understanding marginality and informing policy.

The author wishes to acknowledge the support of the International Labour Organisation for this research.

Notes

¹The local authority in Durban was officially renamed eThekwini Municipality in 2001. However, this paper refers to the city as ‘Durban’, since it covers the city's approach to street traders over a long period.

²See background papers for the 2002 general meeting of the ILO on the informal economy (downloadable from www.wiego.org).

³This is one of a number of reports referred to in this paper that fall into the category of grey literature. This was work commissioned by the Council that is not posted on their site. The author acquired these documents by direct request from a range of current and former Council officials.

⁴In 2000 it was awarded the World Wildlife Fund South Africa and Nedbank's Green Trust Award in the category ‘Urban Renewal’. The Project Centre won a KwaZulu-Natal Institute of Architects Heritage Award for the renovation of the Centre – a listed building.