Vendors threaten to demonstrate against foreigners

Tutu · Member

Vendors threaten to demonstrate against foreigners

Njiba · Veteran Member

Chinese vendors? damn! The Malawian vendors do not have a chance against foreign vendors who not only work together but are also more sophisticated. Last i left Malawi a nigerian with a make shift point of sale along malangalanga would even try to sell his stuff to the government or some projects arround town. This nigerian would go through the whole process , proforma invoice, invoice mpakana receipt (yachidindo). The average Malawian vendor did not have a bank account so even payment would be difficult. If the consumers could unite and refuse to buy from nigerians and all them then maybe the Malawian vendor will survive and im only saying maybe because the nigerian can easliy find some malawian sellout to sell stuff for him. Times are hard back home (from what i hear).

Njiba.

logo · Newbie

I pity malawian vendors coz honestly these foreigners hav taken over the streets ! u know these Nigerians they know every trick in the book it's jus in them.

Samora · Newbie

CHASE THESE DAMN FOREIGNERS OUT OF OUR COUNTRY!!! Just kidding but you all know that if the situation were reversed the foreign vendors would be saying that to Malawians. I think a little competetion from the foreign vendors is good even though it has its negative side-effects. But look at it this way, if the foreign vendors are coming up with better goods and services then the Malawian consumers will benefit. Having pity for the Malawian vendors will not help them at all, instead we need to encourage them to get with the program and compete with their foreign counterparts.

I recently watched some music videos from Malawi and I was impressed. We had some artists wearing Sean John, Nike etc. They might have been knock offs but you know what they still looked good. If we try to chase foreign vendors from Malawi the artists will not be spotting some nice threads. You all know kuti zovala za pa Kaunjika zimathandiza anthu ambili.

Thank you and good day to all.

Samora.

Mbili_Ku_Njanji · Member

This is a very interesting article! When they say Vendors which vendors do they refer to. Can someone who is in Malawi enlighten me. What is the structure of their vending, I mean are they free lancers that go to people's homes and knock on doors, are they confined in a certain area where one can go to their booths at ones own will or are they everywhere in the streets where you will run into them without an intention?

I personally think there is nothing wrong with some competition in business, that is what makes it better, had it been monopoly then there is a problem ie ESCOM. What Malawians need to do is learn the trade from their counterparts and improve on their knowledge and local skills. When you are in a race you do not cry foul if another person beats you, you improve to win. This could be repeated history in the making. Do we as Malawians ask ourselves why Indians dominate in shopping industry in Malawi. It is not that they are smarter than us, it is because Indians share ideas and help each other to prosper. Malawian vendors need not to cry foul on foreighners they need to unite and have an organization that should meet regulary (at least once or twice a week) to share ideas and implement them. You know they say, enemies unite to fight one common enemy.

Here is a catch that I found out about Indian shops in Malawi and I would like to share with you guys. When a buyer goes to Indian shop to buy a shirt or pants or whatever it is, a buyer will see the price tug on the shirt and say well that is a high price, well the buyer decides to bargain and say, well I want that shirt but I do not have enough money on me to buy it. Then a smilling Indian goes how much money do you have? Bear in mind that, that Indian guy knows what the real price is in his head. So if the buyer says, he only has K200 and the comodity is marked at K250, the seller has to hit at least K140 to breakeven then he will take that K200. Now we have a happy buyer and a seller. But it carries more weight to the buyer because he thinks he has a bargain. Now that buyer will go and tell everyone how much of a bargain he got from the seller. Now everyone will want to go to that shop and have a bargain. Word of mouth is the best ref. out there guys. That is how the rich get richer.

Don't ask me how I know this, I am Indian/malawian!

Zuze Chilombo Chapamudzi!

Kalundi · Newbie

Samora and Zuze apo nde mwalasa nyani tchende! Malawian vendors should get their act together. Instead of trying to banish the foreign traders, they should find out what it is that make them successful and apply it to their own businesses. Sometimes you learn by watching what others do. I do not have any problem with the foreign vendors as long as they practice within the laws of the country...

Kalundi

Abromovich · Member

Point of clarification. These vendors come into Malawi under the pretext that they are investors complying with the laws of beautiful Malawi that they will pay a whooping $50000 to start business but alas they endup opening a grocery at the corner of the street instead of the promised factory which is against the law.

What this means is that we Malawians we dont want to get developed beacuse we are corrupt people who are issuing dubious licences to these Nigerians who in the end make our country a safe heaven for drug dealers what a shame instead of empowering local Malawian. By the way go to Abuja Nigeria and tell us how many vendors you will find operating small shops? Indeed they must go.