2010-02-18: Street Trading 2010 City of Joburg
Informal traders in Johannesburg stand to score during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ if they abide by the City’s by-laws and team up with programmes designed by the Department of Economic Development (DED) to help coach them through this event.
Though trading will not be permitted in exclusion zones around the stadiums on match days, new opportunities are being created for traders to benefit from being situated in high fan traffic areas.
“It is not the intention of the City to disrupt the livelihoods of some of the street traders, particularly those who normally trade in areas zoned as controlled access sites or exclusion zones,” said Executive Director of the City’s 2010 Office, Sibongile Mazibuko.
Controlled access sites and exclusion zones extend around stadiums, public viewing areas and fan fests and vary in size according to road closures.
“Rather the City seeks to ensure that trading at these sites is controlled, but also disrupted as little as possible,” she adds.
“Here, the City faces a difficult task of balancing the interests of a valuable section of the community against its obligations as a 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup Host City,” Mazibuko said.
Host cities, FIFA and LOC are obliged to create commercial restriction zones around stadiums and areas of importance during the tournament. This is to protect the FIFA commercial affiliates and sponsors from ambush marketing by competing companies in the event to which they have contributed nothing.
The majority of traders who work at events are already listed on the City’s DED database and will be permitted to sell their wares during the World Cup.
Food vendors have over the past year engaged in the DED’s monthly training programme designed to school them in food safety, health requirements, food presentation and on the image of the stall.
Traders can further cash in on new opportunities by selling food to secure clients such as the city’s 2010 volunteer workforce, the City’s staff working at the event and VIP guests of the city.
The City is also hosting several parallel events at which accredited traders will be able to sell their wares. This includes the fan fests at Innes Free Park in Sandton and at Elkah Stadium in Soweto which attract 30 000 or more fans.
It will be “business as usual” in all markets, stalls all areas of the City of Johannesburg jurisdiction during the World Cup.
Traders are, however, expected to comply with FIFA by-laws by avoiding selling illegal counterfeit goods, or engaging in ambush marketing or trading along protocol main routes outside demarcated trading areas.
Trading shall take place and be managed during the World Cup specifically in all demarcated areas within all events precincts.
“Demarcated traders shall be accredited with events permits by the Host City Department of Economic Development in collaboration with Environmental health and the Metropolitan Trading Company (MTC),” said Mazibuko.
The “mamas” will be allowed to trade at demarcated areas within the precincts e.g. Fan parks, Public Viewing Area, Fan boulevard walkways, MTN Ekasi TVs, Park and Rides, and drop off zones. These areas will be strictly monitored and regulated by the City.
These trading sites will be temporary for the duration of the World Cup only.
Daily events vendors who are directly affected by the World Cup and whose income is primarily dependant on events are registered on the City Events database managed by the Department of Economic Development (DED).
They will be allowed to sell food, arts and crafts, soccer merchandise like vuvuzelas, caps, teams shirts and flags which will be approved by the City of Johannesburg and FIFA’s rights protection Unit.
Training to ensure that all accredited food traders do meet the health requirements is scheduled by the City’s Environmental Health department and Emergency Services Department, specifically for food vendors or traders.
After completing training, successful vendors are issued with aprons.
“First priority for trading at 2010 events shall be given to the existing events traders who are currently selling at all PSL games, Cricket games and rugby games because they will be directly affected by the exclusion zone policy,” Mazibuko stated.
Other traders from formal and linear markets will be considered as per the allocation policy of the City and its category list.
For media enquiries:
Executive Director: 2010 Office
Sibongile Mazibuko
082-467-9235
011-381-0344
For vendors:
Department of Economic Development
Mr Xolani Nxumalo
011 358 3229
xolaninx@joburg.org.za
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