Windhoek moves to tackle informal trading congestion
The City of Windhoek is stepping up efforts to address congestion, trader safety and the growing number of informal trading activities across the capital, with the municipality identifying designated areas where traders can operate. City of Windhoek Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Moses Matyayi outlined the challenges during a recent tour of informal trading areas with Minister of Urban and Rural Development James Sankwasa.
The tour focused on areas including Havana/Matshishi, Havana Extensions 8 and 10, Ondoto Stop & Shop and Chinatown, where informal trading has expanded onto pavements, roads and other areas not designated for commercial activity. Matyayi said some trading areas developed organically as traders began using particular spaces, prompting the city to demarcate areas and consider them for informal trading. He said the city has secured financing from Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) to develop one such area into a proper trading market for registered traders. The municipality will then move on to address informal trading around Chinatown.
According to Matyayi, a market was built in the Chinatown area after Independence, but traders eventually abandoned it, creating what he described as a “white elephant”. The traders argued that customers were not coming to the designated market, while the municipality maintained that customers should trade at the designated facility. As a result, traders moved closer to Chinatown and began operating on pavements.
" I think in 2024, we visited them and then 2025, we did again the same visit. This year, after having sensitised them we actually just pushed them into an area where we said, can you trade here" said Matyayi while the city plans the longer-term development of the area.
The situation is similar at the Ondoto Street or Tukonjeni Market, where trading has increasingly spilled onto the streets. Matyayi said the city found that traders were not only occupying pavements and roads, but that trucks and vehicles were also using the area to offload goods. Some traders had started demarcating spaces and constructing makeshift structures to store their stock.
The city was prompted to intervene after a shop owner complained that informal traders were blocking access to the business, making it difficult for the shop to operate. "The trigger into that matter is that the owner of a shop has actually complained to saying that his entrance was blocked" he said.
Matyayi said the city has been implementing its interventions gradually, starting with Black Chain, where traders had expanded from the pavement into the road. "The issue of safety and security of those individuals themselves, plus the bylaws that have actually been contravened" he stated. He said traders initially cooperated with the city and were moved to a temporary open area. Despite subsequent attempts to disrupt the process, the area is now being managed properly.
The city faces another challenge at Tukonjeni Market. Traders operating inside the market said they pay rent to the municipality, while those trading outside do not pay fees and are also taking away their customers. Matyayi said the city therefore needs to balance enforcement with the livelihoods of people who depend on informal trading.
The city has identified another area closer to the river where traders could be accommodated. A smaller market opposite the area had also previously been used to relocate traders, but the number of informal traders continues to increase.
Matyayi said an agreement between Ongos Development and the city provided for the development of a market as part of the project’s corporate social responsibility, as well as the development of relocation areas in Extensions 8 and 11. The relocation area has been serviced up to level three, which includes bulk infrastructure, communal toilets, communal facilities and roads. Matyayi said the infrastructure could eventually be upgraded to accommodate individual households, although further development would have cost implications.
However, the planned market has been delayed because some of the people who were supposed to be moved to the area have refused to relocate. Matyayi said the situation has contributed to congestion and stalled the completion of the facility.
Sankwasa, meanwhile, called for stronger enforcement of rules and greater organisation in Windhoek.
“We can not afford to have Windhoek as an informal town,” he said, adding that the capital must maintain a clear distinction between an urban area and a rural area.
“You can still make your trade. You can still do your business. But you must follow the rules,” Sankwasa said.
The minister also raised concerns about people living and conducting activities in riverbeds, particularly ahead of the rainy season. He urged the city to relocate people from riverbeds before heavy rains occur, warning against a situation where residents remain in vulnerable areas and later seek disaster assistance after flooding.
Sankwasa said he supports the city’s efforts to bring greater order to informal trading and settlement areas.
The tour was provided to the minister for a clearer understanding of the challenges faced by the city as it works to balance informal traders’ livelihoods with public safety, orderly urban development and compliance with municipal by-laws.
