Project Summary
Transaid has been working with the Zambia National Marketeers Credit Association (ZANAMACA), to assess their transport needs. ZANAMACA, a local organisation with a membership of over 10,000, provides a rotating credit scheme to allow market traders to purchase goods on a small scale to sell in Zambian markets.
Transaid was approached by the organisation to request support to further empower the marketeers by strengthening their transport - currently one of the largest barriers to wealth creation. Transaid have been researching potential interventions that will make the marketeers’ transport safer, more efficient and more affordable.
The Problem
The central market of Lusaka serves as a base for all the surrounding and rural markets whose traders come to buy and sell goods there. For many marketeers living in small towns and villages it can take several days to reach Lusaka.
The majority of market traders use light weight trucks to transport their goods by flagging them down at the roadside, before bartering for the journey fare. Most have to endure indirect routes with lengthy waiting times and can spend several days sleeping by the roadside. This often leads to the spoiling of perishable goods and less time for trading, eating into any potential profit.
Women marketers are particularly vulnerable when using this form of transport as they have virtually no control over routes taken and the price to be paid. Some women are forced to employ other methods to pay drivers or alternatively spend longer at a stop over point to earn enough money to continue their journey.
The Process
Transaid carried out an initial assessment of the types of transport available to marketers. With support from ZANAMACA, Transaid then carried out initial research with over 150 marketeers from the central and surrounding markets in Lusaka. Interviews were conducted face to face and through distributing questionnaires to establish the major transport problems that traders face. This data was then analysed to determine the main transport priorities.
Partners
Zambia National Marketeers Credit Association (ZANAMACA)
Results
The results from the randomly selected sample revealed that 72% of the marketeers were female with an average of five dependents each. Over 50% of these women headed their households and 25% were widows. Their key concerns included length of time taken to transport goods, the lack of affordable transport and issues of security.
There are several different forms of transport used by the marketeers including local minibuses, wheel barrows and long distance buses. Transaid concluded that the most impact can be made by addressing the problems of those who have to travel long distances to come in to the capital from rural areas.
On average the marketeer travels 1200km on a round trip to bring goods to Lusaka for selling three times a month. They have to pay a disproportionately high cost for often unreliable and unsafe transport. Furthermore this transport is not designed for their needs and the traders can be kept waiting on a roadside for days for a passing truck that will take them and their goods.
The Impact
Transaid is looking to implement a pilot scheme that will offer a transport system to be scheduled once or twice a week on the most popular long distance routes. This will be owned and managed by ZANAMACA to serve its members. The impact of this pilot study could lead to the rolling out of a transport scheme that will enable market traders to gain better access to safe and affordable transport so they can transport their goods more safely and efficiently, leaving more time for family life and more profit.
