TENDAI BHEBHE IN BULAWAYO
The Bulawayo Vendors Traders Association (BVTA) has equipped informal traders with digital marketing skills, a move meant to capacitate them survive the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic.
BVTA’s information and communications officer Kwanele Moyo said the Covid-19 pandemic has made it hard for informal traders to sell or conduct their businesses and required to be capacitated to navigate the stormy waters.
“The BVTA is equipping the vendors with online marketing and trading skills.” Moyo said.
“These skills will assist them to continue their businesses.”
She said the organisation developed an application, sizimele, that links buyers and sellers nationally and internationally and creates market linkages, enabling transactions to be done online.
“The sizimele application enables informal traders to conduct transactions at the comfort of their home. (However), there are challenges such as that some vendors don’t have gadgets to use the social media platform, “she said.
Moyo said the informal traders have welcomed the initiative.
“Most informal traders have managed to open Facebook accounts. Most of them now know how to use WhatsApp business application which enables them to market their products as it is the cheapest application to use compared to other social media platforms,” Moyo said .
Blondie Ndebele, an informal trader, told Business Times that online marketing has become more popular around the world at this time especially when the world is battling the Covid-19 pandemic and it comes with various benefits as more people spend their time online.
Another vendor, Lillian Musipani, said it was important for vendors to acquire online marketing skills.
