The Rundu Town Council has stopped informal traders from Angola from selling in town.

This has left the Namibian street vendors unhappy because of transport they now have to pay to buy products from their Angolan counterparts. 

Over the years Angolan nationals have been crossing the border into Namibia with no limitation to selling their products.

The vendors would take various vegetables to their customers at designated stands.

Since the regulation was enforced, the Namibian vendors now have to travel 7 kilometers to Sarasungu Border Post for them to buy products from Angolan vendors.

This has frustrated the Namibian vendors, who say they spend N$60 on transport to and from the Namibia-Angola border to buy goods. 

The vendors now only meet at the border twice a week.

"We did not have the stress of coming to the border, they used to bring the products to our respective stalls, we used to get our products easily, but now it has become difficult."

Angolan vendors say they have opted to sell their products in Namibia because there is no market on the Angolan side because almost everyone is into crop farming. 

"We were told that if we sold mutete in town, we would be arrested, but selling here at the border is difficult because we don't sell as much as we used to, and we sometimes go back home with our products, which is a loss."

"Kalayi is like a village; it's not a big town, and we're many; farming is our way of life. Some have gardens and others are subsistence farmers we can't sell to each other because we eat from our fields."

The vendors are appealing to the town council to allow smooth trade between Namibian and Angolan vendors.

The Rundu Town Council's Strategic Executive Officer for Community Service, Fransisca Kupembona, says the council has already passed the informal trading regulation in 2008 and has only been slow on implementation.

"We have identified places where they are currently trading, and we are registering them."

Kupembona explained that the council is not against the Angolan vendors, and all they need to have is work permits or street vendor cards.

She says the council has identified spots in town where the vendors can sell from.