Informal Trader Fights for Survival After Johannesburg Eviction

In November 2025, informal trader Agrippa Buthelezi from KwaZulu-Natal is struggling to make ends meet after being prevented from selling his goods on the streets of Johannesburg's CBD over the past few weeks. Buthelezi, a father of 11, has been selling on the streets since 2006 and was able to provide for his family, but the recent evictions have made life extremely difficult.

Buthelezi and other traders have faced constant harassment from municipal officials, who have been trying to remove them from the streets. The traders challenged the city through legal processes in 2013 and won the right to continue trading, but the officials have returned and evicted them again. The traders claim they have been paying a monthly R100 fee to the city, but officials now say they have been using the wrong account.

Amid the struggles, the Johannesburg High Court recently directed the city to speedily verify and register street traders after informal traders approached the court with the help of the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (Seri). The city has welcomed the court ruling, saying it will help eliminate irregular practices and ensure qualified informal traders operate within a fair and well-managed framework.

The city's commitment to both safety and economic empowerment has been reaffirmed, with officials promising to perform outreach programs to ensure traders understand their rights and obligations, preventing unnecessary confiscation of goods. A verification and registration process is now underway to legalize the traders and allocate them trading spaces.