”.
However, in the past few years, we have observed a marked transition of certain types of informal businesses from being economic survivalists trying to get by, into something we now describe as “informalist” behaviour. Informalist entrepreneurs, in short, are not necessarily “poor” in the general sense, but rather seek to capitalise on opportunities that informality presents and exploit weaknesses of the state to generate business for themselves.
Many of their business practices evolve into illegality. Through picking and choosing the regulations that suit them while ignoring those that do not, informalist economies pose important risks to consumers and society at large, taking advantage of a weak state with low regulatory enforcement.
App comes to the rescue of spaza shop owners GCIS-Vukuzenzele > By GCIS-Vukuzenzele - 11 May 2021 - 07:41 File photo. Image: EUGENE COETZEE
A group of Free State youngsters have created a mobile app that will help spaza shop owners operate more efficiently.
They are the quartet of Tumi Letsaba, Kgomotso Sebitlo, Ditjhaba Selemela and Bandile Ntombela who are the founders of a tech company called Next Curve Creations.
Their app, called Progressive Creations, is intended to help store owners unite and benefit from discounts that come with bulk buying. It will also help individual owners keep better inventory records.
At present, the app is being tested among a closed user group of spaza shop owners in Frankfort.
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