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ICTs uptake increases on traders

Vendors and informal traders in Bulawayo have since embraced Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to market their products and conduct business. The incorporation of digital technologies has further enhanced their competitiveness in online trading. The traders underwent rigorous training on the use of online platforms to grow their businesses at the same time adapting to the complex business environment induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Online trading has become more popular global with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictions. The use of internet based platforms has enabled vendors and informal traders to secure more customers for their products. Platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp for Business and mobile applications such as ZRBF Sizimele, have enabled traders to reach out to more customers locally and internationally. Senelisiwe Gwebu, from Magwegwe suburb is among the many traders who have embraced online platforms to buy and sell products. Gwebu had this to say, “Online platforms have offered alternative ways of trading. We order our stock for resale online and we make the payment upon delivery. We have also used WhatsApp, Facebook to advertise our products and we have also managed to keep our business running despite lockdown restrictions.” The Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) Sizimele mobile application was recently launched by ZRBF Sizimele Consortium in which Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association is a partner. The application is assisting traders to market their products locally and internationally. It interlinks small scale suppliers and sellers of wide range of products. The fusion of traditional forms of trade with the use of digital technologies is seen as a resilience building strategy in the face of a changing economic context.

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BVTA spurs informal traders with online marketing skills

Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) is currently conducting virtual trainings on equipping informal traders with marketing an online trading skills as the COVID-19 induced national lockdown and curfew has made it hard for them to make sales. Some vendors revealed that it has been a hustle for them to communicate and reach out to their customers during the national lockdown which took a dramatic toll on traders. Speaking on a WhatsApp platform with vendors and informal traders, Blondie Ndebele said that online marketing has become more popular around the world at this time especially when the world is battling the COVID-19 pandemic and it comes with various benefits as more people spend their time online. Ndebele added that online training reaches out to a wider audience and it is cheaper as it eliminates, physical printing, paying for vending space and travel costs and it allows people to check comments and reviews on the traders’ products. The most common ways of online marketing are the use of social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook , twitter and LinkedIn. Ndebele pointed out that in online trading some potential customers ignore adverts, there is high competition because the traders will be also competing for the same space with wider global businesses and traders can face cyber security issues. Lillian Musipani, an informal traders said that with online trading you do not have to pay any rent and there is no policy that regulates online trading meaning that no vending license is needed. It is important for vendors and informal traders to understand the payment methods such as ecocash and money agencies such as western union. “When developing a message it is important to know your product, determine the desired audience and the online platform to use. Message developments are tailored to communicate effectively with intended target audience,” added Ndebele. Informal traders were also encouraged to download the ZRBF Sizimele Application that links buyers and sellers and creates market linkages, enabling transactions to be done online.

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