The organization has over 12000 members who are directly involved in programming through collaborative planning meetings with ward structures and stakeholder engagements in Matabeleland North, Bulawayo, Mashonaland West, Midlands and Matabeleland South. BVTA’s work includes identifying existing policy and legal constraints impeding the rights of the informal economy workers as enshrined in the Constitution of Zimbabwe; and uses various strategies such as public dialogue, research papers, development of model policies and to influence positive policy change. The objective is to improve the framework and policy conditions to strengthen the rights and opportunities for the informal economy to thrive.

The organization has experience in mobilisation and coordination of informal traders through informal economy associations, has created cutting edge safe markets interventions, advocacy initiatives, providing market infrastructure, market aggregation interventions, COVID 19 support, capacity support on business management development and regularization. The organization has been facilitating capacity building initiatives i.e. on financial literacy, entrepreneurial trainings. 

The organization has carried out research on understanding patterning and growth of the informal sector, understanding laws governing the informal sector and probing city planning and designing and this successfully led to the review and gazetting of a New Informal Traders By- Law Statutory Instrument 181 of 2020 in Bulawayo encapsulating the proposed changes that the organization submitted through its Model By- Law. The organisation is very experienced in research and has published, an Informal Economy Assessment of Zimbabwe, published a Youth Active Citizenship and Decent Jobs and Participation of Young People in Public Policy Issues (https://www.ids.ac.uk/).

The organization has trained informal traders on social and economic rights and other constitutional rights.  The organization has been doing media advocacy work through social media, using local radio stations and Newsletters to spotlight informal traders’ issues. The organization has been promoting the recognition of the informal economy and its contribution in local level economic development. The organization has been involved in Systems Practice through creating spaces for convergence for players in the ecosystem to improve working conditions for Informal Cross Border Traders (ICBTs).

BVTA has been involved in the introduction of the Simplified Trade Regime policy to women Informal Cross Border Traders (ICBTs) and the promotion of recognition of women ICBTs by authorities such as immigration authorities in ports of entry. The organization also educated women ICBTs on economic rights as enshrined in the constitution of Zimbabwe and other related SADC regional policies i.e. SADC Protocol on Industry and Trade.  

The organization has also facilitated conflict reduction and resolution in borders between border officials and women ICBTs who have actively participated in the development of the Border Charter. The organization also has a regional presence in South Africa, through its cross-border cooperation work with informal cross border traders, has established an affiliate in South Africa and operates in Musina. 

The organisation has four (4) certified Officers and eight (8) candidate Trainers by International Labour (ILO), for Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB). These have experience in the package for training which have several modules for entrepreneurs. The skills have been uplifting the informal sector on different needs of their business. 

The organisation has been championing income diversification strategies and building resilience amongst informal traders through disaster managements and value addition trainings contributing to socio economic empowerment. Some informal traders have progressed to resilience building initiatives emanating from the skills gained.

The organisation has also formulated a Bulawayo Youth Model Policy that aimed at bringing out strategies to enhance the livelihoods of young informal traders and submitted to Bulawayo City Council in November 2021.

The organisation has managed diverse funding from partners which include, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Plan International Zimbabwe, Open Society Foundations (OSF), Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA), GIZ, IFES, Trust Africa, Danish Church Aid, Centre for International Private Enterprise, USAID, Cultural Information Trust, Zimbabwe Institute, Olofpalme and Dream Town.