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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Chronicle Reporter
WHILE firms continue to find innovative methods to market and advertise their products, hawkers and vendors are also continuously searching for ways to make their products visible.

Of late the use of hailers (loud-speakers) has become common especially among hawkers and vendors. It started in big cities such as Harare and Bulawayo and is now being used in smaller towns.

The hailer system has become an effective marketing tool for traders with some shops even adopting it.

Under the system traders repeatedly play a recording which announces the products they sell. Some of them go on to announce their prices. This enables the traders to reach out to many customers at once, including those who are not within site.

Recordings which are common in Matabeleland Region include “siyathenga imali ezidabukileyo”, “ama memory card, ama charger, ama battery” and “umuthi wamagundwane- wamawuwu obulala khonapho khonapho” among others.

Mr Daniel Zenzi (36) from Harare who is a hawker operating in various towns said the hailer system has helped improve his business. He said he has a recording that he plays on his hailer.

“I have been operating as a hawker for several years selling different products and now I’m selling insecticides. They include chemicals for rats, flies, cockroaches and ticks. I buy some of the chemicals while I produce others myself. I get the chemicals from Harare and I sell them locally while I sell some in other countries such as Zambia and Mozambique,” he said.

“Locally I sell my products in various towns such as Gwanda, Plumtree, Victoria Falls and Beitbridge. I use a hailer to play a recording of the products that I’m selling.

“This enables me to reach out to many customers including those who are not immediately visible.

“Even if a person is in their home or office and they can’t see me passing with the products they can hear me and immediately come out to inquire.”

He said some people may see him pass by with the products and not have interest. Mr Zenzi said others would not be aware of the type of products he is selling.

He said hearing the products being announced through a hailer causes some customers to buy.

Mr Zenzi said when he is going to sell in a place with a foreign language he finds someone who can record for him in the local language.

He said the hailer system was now common in Harare and Bulawayo. As a result Mr Zenzi has decided to take his business to smaller towns where the system isn’t commonly used.

“People stop me frequently to buy my products just because of the hailer. When I go to Mozambique or Zambia I look for someone who can record for me in the particular language and I move around selling my products. I don’t need to know the language for me to sell to the people. As long as they give me the money and in exchange I give them the product then all is well with me,” Mr Zenzi said.

He said he realises good profits from being a hawker. Mr Zenzi said one did not need good grades to survive, but brains.

Mr Butho Ncube who is a vendor is Bulawayo said he uses a hailer to notify passersby of his products. He sells insecticides. He said he has noticed that some customers come to buy after hearing the hailer.

Mr Ncube said some people did not like being approached by hawkers.

“The hailer system has a lot of influence when it comes to marketing our products. It gives us an opportunity to give customers some brief information about the effectiveness of our products and even our prices.

Sometimes people shy away from buying our products thinking that they are expensive. If someone knows that they can buy my product for as low as R10 or R20 then they will come closer,” he said.

“Sometimes when we try to approach people with our products they become hostile and refuse to entertain us. With the hailer I get to inform the customer of the products I have without invading their space. Some customers come and buy after hearing us announce the products.”

Mrs Glady’s Nkomo, a vendor who sells batteries and chargers in Bulawayo, said many customers were attracted to her products because of the hailer.

She said there was stiff competition in the CBD and to attract customers she has to make the loudest noise. Mrs Nkomo said other people who were selling close to her were not using hailers and she was taking advantage of that. — @DubeMatutu