Abstract:
This study focused on The Integrated Development Plan as a strategy to empower informal
traders using Thohoyandou as the case study. The study was conducted at Thulamela
Municipality and at the informal markets of Thohoyandou. The researcher used two population
groups; the municipal officials and the informal traders. The researcher made use of both
qualitative and quantitative methods as the study was explorative in nature; 50 informal traders
were sampled and took part in the study and on the other hand, 20 municipal officials were
sampled and participated in the study. The researcher made use a pilot survey to two groups
of population to test the efficacy of the interviews schedule as well the questionnaires as data
collection instruments. SPSS and Microsoft excel were used as tools for data analysis.
The results show that Thulamela Municipality’s IDP strategy is not doing enough for the
informal markets in Thohoyandou. However, respondents indicated that shortcomings such as
Limited Budget affect the success of IDP on informal trading. Initiatives such as the provision
of loans, workshops, training and promotion of LED programmes were indicated as having
been put in place in an effort to empower informal traders, although a number of informal
traders in the Thohoyandou area are forever increasing, through urbanisation and migration
which pose serious control challenges to the municipality.
To manage informal trading in Thohoyandou, the researcher recommended that there could
be: preferences on trading fee/levies; provision of services and infrastructures to informal
traders; enhancing public participation; limiting overtrading, integrated management planning,
policy formulations and that future researchers can be more specific on aspects such as:
situation of foreign traders; constitutionality of by-laws and trading at intersections.
