Malawi’s major vendors’ committee claims it is receiving an average of 40 new people each week, seeking space to start operating their businesses in the populous vendors market called Limbe in the city of Blantyre in Malawi.

They say they have a long waiting list of people hunting for space to open their trades in various ‘departments’ in the vendors’ market.

This indicates that the town is now a full scale vendors’ city.

Vendors’ secretary Bizwick Maulidi and committee advisor Jimmy Kalasa said their population is growing at a high speed.

They said they are not able to approve or accredit all the requests because there is not enough space to accommodate every new investor.

“Our population is not stagnant, each week 40 people are being directed to us seeking space but there is not enough space,” said Kalasa.

“There is a staggering waiting list because we don’t have space,” chipped in Maulidi.

The two however complained that the assembly and other stakeholders seem not to care about vendors despite being the fastest growing community in the country.

In separate interview acting Chief Executive Officer for Blantyre City Assembly Lester Bandawe confirmed that the accreditation of new vendors is in the hands of the vendors committee but said he was not immediately able to know the growth rate of the vendors.

Bandawe said another accreditation exercise is handled by the police.

“We don’t handle the accreditation of vendors who seek space to operate businesses in Limbe that exercise is handled by the police and the vendors committee, separately” he said.

He however said they have a list of registered and officially recognized vendors.
“When the flea market is finished we will use that list to accredit the vendors,” he said.

Kalasa when asked to explain the fast rate, he attributed it to Malawians’ desire to do some businesses.
He said unemployment and loss of confidence in jobs is contributing to the situation.

“Our population is nearing 3000 here (in Limbe) alone, there are people who are well employed but are operating some business here.
“And there are many who approach us to open their trades, that is how the population is growing,” said Kalasa.

Recently Chairman of Malawi Union of Informal Sector (MUFIS) Ken Williams Mhango speaking at his office in Blantyre asked various stakeholders to support small scale businesses.

He appealed to them to help improve the environment of informal traders saying they are alternative market.

“Our employment market is too narrow to accommodate us all; vendors are contributing positively to the development of our economy but there is a need to continue improving their environment,” he told this reporter.