Coping with Challenges and Aftermath of COVID-19 among Street Food Catering Operators in Dodoma City: Lessons and Policy Implications

Abstract

Introduction: Street food catering forms an important part of the food system in urban areas of Tanzania, and other parts of Africa, particularly by providing nutrition for poor consumers and means of livelihood for those who operate them. However, governments have for a long time excluded them from the traditional safety-net measures enjoyed by other traders whenever there is a major economic crisis in the society such as the effects of COVID-19 pandemic. With the devastating effect of COVID-19, it is important to evaluate how the sector reacted and coped during and after the pandemic crisis. This understanding is important if we need to formulate effective recovery policies and strategies. This paper examined the street food catering in Dodoma city in Tanzania. Specifically, the paper sought to determine the characteristics of people who operate such businesses to identify challenges imposed by COVID-19 analyze the adopted coping strategies and attempt to recommend appropriate recovery policies and strategies.

Methods: The study was conducted in Dodoma City. The study area was purposively selected because of its nature of being fast-growing and of its recent status as the national capital of the United Republic of Tanzania. A cross-sectional research design was used to collect data from 113 operators or owners of street food catering places, who were randomly selected. A questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze data.

Results: Results indicated that the majority of the operators were in age between 25 and 44 years. The most common short-term and long-term challenges of COVID-19 on street food catering included a reduction in the number of customers and deterioration of trade, respectively. The most common coping strategies included shortening the supply chain, use of cash on delivery and digitalized marketing systems.

Conclusion: Contactless mobile payments have proved to have a clear advantage during the pandemic. more importantly, lowering the money transfer charges. Both the challenges and the resulting coping strategies tend to comply with what has been happening globally for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and therefore much of what has been recommended elsewhere internationally may likely apply to the case of street food catering in Dodoma city and Tanzania.