Collapse of tourism hits informal sector in Vic Falls
The COVID-19 pandemic has not spared the informal sector in Victoria Falls for months on end due to closure of borders and the subsequent low traffic in the tourism sector. Speaking to The Vendors Voice, Victoria Falls Mayor Somvelo Dhlamini said the COVID-19 induced lockdown has caused “untold suffering” to the people of Victoria Falls and the business community at large. He added that the informal sector has not been spared and is in fact, the hardest-hit sector. Mayor Dhlamini decried the absence of other major industries in the city which could have complemented the tourism sector. According to the Mayor, informal traders such as curio vendors and taxi drivers who whose businesses used to thrive in a robust tourism environment, prior to the lockdown are now stranded in a cul de sac on account of the non-availability of tourists. “We have just one major industry which is tourism. However, this industry has been none functional since early last year due to Lockdown. Airports were closed down same as our boarders .This has caused untold poverty to the people of this new city .Businesses especially those in the informal sector such as curio vendors and taxi drivers have been affected by the absence of tourists.” Naomi Ndlovu, a cross boarder trader bemoaned the closure of the borders, which led to her suffering substantial losses as she was forced to significantly lower her prices so that she could at least be able to sell and stay afloat. Moreover, to stay in the business cross border traders have had to purchase their stock via third parties for an extra fee which has increased their costs. “The closure of boarders affected my business immensely. We had to reduce the prices of the goods we had before lockdown as most people in the city could not afford to purchase at the original prices. We suffered huge losses as a result. The alternative channels of buying from Zambia are very expensive compared to back then when boarders were still open because we could travel by ourselves without involving the costly middlemen whose charges are at a premium,” Ndlovu told The Vendors Voice said. She also implored the powers that be to intervene by way of cushioning the cross border traders from the adverse effects of the lockdown to enable them to restock. “Usually, we would cross the border to Livingstone, Zambia to buy things to sale but with border closure our operations have been limited. For a mother with a family to take care of, this period has not been easy at all. We hope that at policy level something can be done to cushion cross border traders when boarders reopen. We have no stock and no finances to restock,” she said. Mrs Zanele Mthunzi a local businesswoman who sells wigs, beauty cosmetics and services said the collapse of the tourism sector in the city has had a huge bearing on her business. “During lockdown we had to pay shop rentals even without opening shop. Almost all of my clients work in the tourism sector. Some of them are tour operators, waiters, housekeepers, potters and chefs. All these people have not been working since the start of the lockdown, resultantly reducing sales yet overheads remain high,” she said. Mthunzi also complained about the license fees which remain high despite the lockdown. She said “Shop licensing is also very high, for example in January 2021 in the beauty spa business, I paid 100 USD equivalent yet lockdown was still in effect. This has strained the business greatly.”
Collapse of tourism hits informal sector in Vic Falls Read More »