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Tuesday 29 March 2011
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Nothing grand about business on the Parade “District Six can never be the same.” -p3
Come dance with Harold King -p7
Santos star looks to the north -p 12
VERNA VAN DIEMEN
AILING TRADERS at the Grand Parade claim that business has worsened significantly after a buoyant World Cup. They believed the soccer spectacular would ignite a business boom for the market. Instead, business is worse than it has ever been. Natasha Naicker, site manager for Grand Parade United Traders’ Association, said eight traders closed shop this month alone. They had been trading at the parade between five and 10 years, selling various items, including goods and clothing. However, the City of Cape Town says the situation is not unique to the Grand Parade. Business in general is down across the municipality. Naicker, who has been trading in underwear and socks at the parade for more than 40 years, says they had more than 100 customers a day during the World Cup. Now they are lucky if they attract three buyers a day. “We were hoping that it would last but business has never been this bad,” she says. Naicker says, though, that the slump is not as a result of postWorld Cup. “We had a lot of customers during the World Cup,l but they only bought memorabilia; our own goods which we usually sell were still not being sold,” she says. Naicker believes that crime and drug-peddling on the parade deter customers from coming to the area.
Dorothy Williams says the city is “no longer vibrant” and that the increase of malls in townships is compounding the problem. The Valhalla Park grandmother sells herbs, and says she is lucky if she has more than three clients for the day. “Business was bad before the World Cup. During the World Cup it was not as busy as we expected, but we made our money. Now it is worse than it has ever been,” she says. Williams is a fourth-generation trader for her family. Her greatgreat-grandmother was the first to sell herbs in 1901, and the tradition has been carried down to each daughter. The widow has been on the parade for 15 years, but says it has become “virtually impossible” to support her family financially. She lives with her daughter, a single mother of three. “If the council can do something to make the city more attractive, it would be great,” she says. Williams remains optimistic. “I don’t want to give up my stall. If I do, the foreigners will take my place,” she says. Musy Mustapha from Cameroon sells bags, cosmetics and other miscellaneous items from his stall. He says he was busy during the World Cup, but big retailers reaped most of the benefits from the event. “Business has gone down a lot since the World Cup. We make almost no money now,” he says. He feels that there should be stricter regulations around how stalls are situated. He has been trading at the parade for 10 years and says that arguments between traders often erupt because two stalls selling the same goods are situated next to each other. “I might charge R4 for the some-
thing that costs R5 at the stall next to mine. “Or someone might be at my stall and the trader next door grabs him away because he sells it for cheaper. “It causes bad feelings. Why can’t they control how the stalls are positioned?” he asks. Seasonal traders are also a big problem for traders, who wait patiently for business every day. “In December we are pushed to the back of the market. People who never trade here from other markets like Mitchell’s Plain and Kraaifontein tell us PARADE: Dorothy Williams said she is lucky if she that we are trading gets three customers for the day.Photo: Verna van Diemen on their bays,” he says. “We believe that these initiatives, When People’s Post visited the pa- together with others in the central rade at 13:30 on Thursday 24 March, city, will attract consumers to the one clothing trader said that he had central city.” not done any business for the day. Williamson says the City has five “I will pack up for the day if no property lease agreements with five one buys from me by 14:30,” said the trader associations on the Grand man, who wants to remain anony- Parade which do not prescribe the mous. rental charge, nor the commodities Paul Williamson, from the city’s sold by the traders. The only stipuinformal trading unit, says that lation is that the goods must be lesales among formal and informal gal. traders across the entire municipal Tasso Evangelinos, chief operaarea are generally down because of ting officer for the CCID, said he has the recession. four staff members and a dedicated He says the City has invested mobile patrol vehicle working at R20 million in upgrading the Grand the parade throughout the day. Parade. “We are not funded for the work “The City has also supported ini- we do at the parade, but we provide tiatives in the central city, such as the support that we can,” he said. the Cape Town Partnership and the Evangelinos added that a “lot of Central City Improvement District resources” need to be invested to (CCID). make the parade a safe place.
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