20 Nov 2025

Street vendors have been urged to abide with council trading byelaws and sustain their enterprises as there are a foundation of livelihoods in many households.

The call was made by the chairperson of Kweneng District Council, Mr Ontefetse Rankhibidu at the maiden entrepreneurial workshop for the informal sector on Tuesday in Molepolole.

He said the sector that was dominated by women must fully comply with trade regulations for its survival and cordial operation, given its importance and positive impact to the society.

Mr Rankhibidu said engaging with the informal sector was part and parcel of his roadmap and its objective was to empower street vendors with business management skills that could help them up their game in compliance with byelaws.

Held under the theme: Building tomorrow’s Kweneng today, Mr Rankhibidu said informal traders were the mainstay of the economy and major contributors to the Gross Domestic Product.

He described street vendors as a magnificent source of job creation mainly through self-employment, hence urging them practice good business acumen that could sustain them into long term trading and growth.

He was of the notion that street vendors were at the foreground in converting Kweneng’s economy into a melting pot and their challenges needed immediate attention.

Rankhibidu also said he wanted to protect local small scale businesses, render them support and where possible give them priority in awarding tenders.

He however cautioned those who were engaged in illegal trading practices such as selling illegal products, as well as opening a window of market for carcasses of stolen livestock.

KDC Secretary, Mr Olebile Mafala encouraged street hawkers to focus on running profitable businesses.

Mr Mafala said a stable business would be in a position to make profit and allow room for expansion.

He said the idea for holding such a workshop was to engage street hawkers on how to maintain a good customer service, practicing good hygiene and good management, maintenance of trading structures in compliance with bye laws.

Mr Mafala assured them that council was not a monster to their businesses but a guardian who was ever present to monitor how they could run their business in a much acceptable manner.

He therefore, pleaded for collaboration between the council and traders. Some hawkers pleaded with council to regulate established businesses such chain stores and supermarkets to avoid competition.

Some cried of some foreign nationals who were illegally engaged in small business activities reserved for citizens, a situation that has congested the informal sector. The KDC Deputy Council Chairperson, Mr Kenna Odirile encouraged hawkers to join a WhatsApp group that would  be used to engage them and for ease of communication with council authorities. BOPA