Skills gap among the urban street vendors in Tanzania: Cases of Dar es Salaam and Morogoro urban settings

Abstract

This paper investigated skills gap among the urban street vendors in Dar es Salaam and Morogoro urban settings in Tanzania. It examined relevant business skills required, constraints to obtain them and appropriate ways of equipping vendors with relevant business skills. The study employed qualitative techniques within which purposive, and snowball sampling were utilized. Key informants including City and municipal officials and community officials participated in the study. Data were collected using in-depth interviews, focus group discussion, and observations coupled with documentary review and analysis. Findings revealed that, vendors lacked various business related skills and could not attend to trainings due to the demanding nature of their operations, negative perception towards public and private sector support among others. It concluded that without important skills vendors will not be successful. The study urges public and private sector to be sensitised on their role to provide skills to the vendors while municipalities should devise plans for empowering vendors on various skills.