Local school uniform sellers losing out to the Chinese
Traditionally, January is a busy time for many street vendors, with the start of a new year ushering in a fresh demand for school uniforms.
However, this previously reliable source of income is under threat for many locals, with several Chinese shops now entering the game – even though the sector has been strictly reserved for Batswana.
With the Chinese offering uniforms at significantly cheaper prices – prices that locals can’t compete with – parents are flocking to their shops to stock up.
Venturing out into the heart of Ghetto, Voice Money found that tensions are rising…
We have a serious problem with the Chinese shops.
Imagine, I order cloth for the uniforms and then pay someone to make them for me.
I pay that person P150 and I sell the uniform for P200, leaving me with P50 profit.
Now these foreigners sell the uniform for P45 – obviously, at those prices, many customers will prefer to buy from them regardless of quality.
These shops have to be investigated.
Are they even allowed to sell uniforms?
Because the last time I checked, the government said only locals have the right to.
Why can’t the Chinese leave the uniforms for us to sell as they are selling everything else!
Our target market is those who buy quality not quantity.
Those who want quantity go to the Chinese shops.
They do not see that they will be forced to come back again as those shirts are too light and tear easily.
Their tracksuits, when you wash them, they stretch and become too big.
If these foreigners were not selling uniforms, we could be making lots and lots of money because this is the season every child needs a uniform.
May these shops be stopped from selling uniforms completely please?
The government should intervene and help us.
They are foreigners and yes even us we want to make a living for our families.
NAIKO PHETOLO (21)
It is very painful to see that the Chinese are selling school shirts. I still have stock left over from last year as people are now ditching us to buy from the Chinese because of their low prices. People should know that we sell quality shirts that will last their children for a long time. Now, when I think of making other shirts I lose interest wondering if they will be bought.
GLADYS SAMSON (50)
I do not have a problem with people buying from the Chinese shops because the so called ‘buy local’ is expensive and some of their uniforms are not of good quality. I bought a shirt from ‘buy local’ for P130 and when my child tried it, it tore on its own. So I feel it is better to buy a cheaper one from the Chinese, even though it won’t last either, at least it didn’t cost much.
The problem is that here in Francistown we are too slow as local sellers to react.
We long said we should meet with other sellers to select representatives to lodge a complaint about these Chinese shops but we’ve still not done that.
Now the Chinese are busy making money while our businesses are suffering.
It is very sad.
Something has to be done.
No.15 District Officer Commanding, Kabo Badirwang
What I know is that Batswana are the ones who have been permitted to manufacture and sell school uniforms.
About the foreigners – I am saying foreigner because I do not want to pinpoint anyone – selling, I am not sure and our station has not received any case of foreigners selling.
Sometimes you can find that some of the foreigner’s shops they have Batswana in them so it is better to check with other stakeholders like Bye Law.
