Mugobi, Thereza Israel
(2019)
Challenges Facing Tourist Handicraft Entrepreneurs at Greenmarket Square, Cape Town.
International Conference on the Future of Tourism (ICFT).
pp. 1-18.
ISSN 2507-7872
Abstract
Abstract
South Africa is facing challenges in eradicating poverty to meet the millennium
development goals by 2025. Among the major one, is exploitation of the marginalized groups who are unfortunate masses by the fortunate few such as the rich (tourists). Because of this mass exploitation, the number of people living below the poverty line is increases (Okech, 2016). By tracing the lifestyle of the informal traders as the reflection of their income, the finding shows that, most of traders use their profits to sustain their livelihood and 64% were not making sustainable profit, only 11% of traders confirmed that the business generated sustainable profit. Among all the challenges high operation cost ranked number one as a hindering factor sin growing their business as it recorded 57.5 percent. The monthly spending of from what is earned is being distribute to different activities not related to their business such as sending back home to their original country, paying of their children school fees and spending in glossaries leaving traders into a viscous poverty cycle. These results suggest that traders at Green Market square have higher gross profit than average profits. This study is considered important because there is a rising emphasis on handicrafts in South Africa because crafts are an essential aspect of the development of micro businesses that are required if the South African economy is to experience fast growth. There is a need for continuous promotion of projects, to enhance the development of handicraft products in order to; paves a way for the marginalized youth to develop merchantable skills, to protect their cultural heritage and strengthen their sense of direction and confidence.
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