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Amos Mpofu, [email protected]

A few years ago, Bulawayo informal vendors “discovered” and enthusiastically adopted a quick cash-generating scheme of frying and selling Russian sausages on the streets.

Informal traders in Zimbabwe are renowned for being a highly resourceful group who are always on the lookout for new opportunities. This group is primarily comprised of individuals who hustle in the CBD every day to provide for their families by selling whatever the public needs for their daily lives.

In a conversation with Sibonokhuhle Moyo, who fries and sells Russian sausages from her stall at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Lobengula Street, she revealed that she got the idea for this hustle from a trip she took to South Africa.

“When I went to South Africa last year, I saw people who were frying Russian sausages on the streets and I was attracted by what they were doing and inspired to inquire for information on how they were doing it as well as on how they were profiting from this trade and they shared with me.

“I was selling sweets and cigarettes before my trip to South Africa where I borrowed this idea of frying sausages in the streets. Employing this hustle is changing my life better than when I was selling sweets and cigarettes. The profit mark-up of sausages is by far better than of my previous hustles because I used to work for not more than US$5 a day, an amount double my profit from selling fried Russian sausages.

“I order a pack of sausages at US$14 or R250 which gives me a profit of 10 dollars on a good day and I usually finish 1 pack a day,” she said.

Another Russian sausages hustler Daniel Mugove who operates at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Herbert Chitepo Street said: “I suffered a severe financial challenge and I resorted to trying this endeavour as I saw others doing it. I order my sausages at US$14 and sometimes I order them at US$14,5 depending on the type of sausages provided on stock that very day. 

“The smaller type gives me a profit of US$15 and the bigger type gives me US$10 profit when I am selling at R10 each. The most interesting thing is that the smaller type is highly favoured by customers because it is tastier than the bigger type.

“I was previously selling shoes but I left because the cells were not good and during the day I will be selling phones and accessories until 5pm when I come for this business. The profit from Russian sausages is incomparable because people will always want to eat and there is no way when they won’t be bought because its food,” said Mugove.

Fanuel Simugogo isn’t just selling fried sausages on the street pavements; his three frying pans operating in different corners of the city are building him a mini-empire.

“I started this job last year in June with a single frying pan and I now own three pans which I placed in different busy corners of the city. I realised that from this business you can work for four hours to make a profit of US$10.

“I don’t have a formal job but I suggest that someone working a formal job can also consider this a side hustle. I specialise in this Russian sausages business and I am making US$30 or more on good days because I have three pans. Above all I managed to employ two people who are using my two extra frying pans, which is my confession of appreciation for my hustle,” said.

Antony Mayo, stationed at a stall opposite the MWOS betting club in Bulawayo city centre, said: “we don’t make much from this trade but I survive. I work for my boss who owns five pans and I get R2 000 by the end of the month.”

 Another informal vendor, Shalom Kandenga, said: “I couldn’t stand seeing my children starving while sitting at home and doing nothing. I then opted to venture into frying sausages, chicken gizzards, chicken livers and chicken offals and out of this I manage to feed my children, pay their school fees in full and dress them up, although we have to play hide and seek with the police.”

However, the Bulawayo Deputy Mayor, Councillor Edwin Ndlovu advised the public to avoid food that is cooked on the streets. 

“It is not only illegal but also unhealthy to sell foodstuffs on streets. The general public is warned against buying these people. The illegal food vendors shall be arrested. We warn them to desist from doing that,” he said.