Informal Food Vending In Okuryangava, Windhoek: Entrepreneurial Knowledge Enhancement Strategies And Aspirations Of The Self-Employed

Abstract

This empirical study in application-oriented Human Geography examined conditions of entrepreneurial knowledge and skill enhancement strategies practiced by informal food vendors in Windhoek’s Okuryangava suburb, which are apparently required for the achievement of individual aspirations such as socio-economic resilience. Against the analysis framework of the ‘Street Vendors Success and Knowledge Gap’, the research focused on two components, namely the Social and the Human Capital. In pursuit of this approach, the conducted in-depth, semi-structured face-to-face interviews revealed that vendors carefully observe their competitive terrain, communicate verbally face-to-face as well as remote via cell phones with their social networks in order to obtain and exchange entrepreneurial knowledge. Ultimately, findings confirmed the importance of social networks in the improvement of informal food vendors’ business. Simultaneously, the interviews captured the knowledge enhancement aspirations harboured by informal food vendors with few insights into formal entrepreneurial processes such as business management, technical skills and customer care. Interviewees expressed their need for after-hours tuition, delivered through interactive face-to-face teaching modes and / or public media, including learning material. Such expression of interest called for instituted, demand-driven knowledge dissemination systems for informal sector entrepreneurs. The author concluded that the findings of this study could be of assistance to the compilation of syllabi for systematic informal sector education and training in Namibia.