Informal vendors are a common feature in urban areas. Also known as street vendors, they sell products or provide services on a public road, in a regulated market or in other public spaces. These vendors usually sell food close to places of employment, educational institutions, and transit hubs.
Globally, it’s recognised that your workplace influences your health. South Africa’s National Development Plan estimates that by 2030, 1 million to 2 million new jobs will be in the informal sector. It’s therefore important for researchers to explore how working conditions in the sector affect workers’ health.
