home > conference - November 24-25, 2003

Enterprise Development Impact Assessment Information Service (EDIAIS)

NEW DIRECTIONS IN IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT: METHODS AND PRACTICE

Angela Motsa, Angela Motsa & Associates (AMA)

Assessment of the Impact of Developing Formal Market Infrastructure: A Case Study of the African Craft Market in Johannesburg, South Africa*

Link to full paper

ABSTRACT

The African Craft Market (ACM) was established to get hawkers selling craft on the streets just outside the Rosebank Mall, off the streets. Rosebank is a relatively upmarket suburb of Johannesburg adjoining Sandton, one South Africa's wealthiest suburbs. Hawkers selling on the streets around the Rosebank Mall were perceived to be an eyesore and were also seen to be reducing the value of the Mall.

A total of R 7million was spent on infrastructure development for the market by JHI, the owners of the Rosebank Mall. JHI contracted B&B markets (B&B) on a fixed term five-year lease to run the market, maintain it, allocate stalls and collect rentals from traders. A total of 80 hawkers out of the 100 that had originally been trading around the mall were allocated spaces at the ACM at a below market value rental. A credit card facility was also created for the traders, and the design of the market changed from a single storey to a double storey to increase tradable goods as well as variety so as to increase traffic to the ACM. The upstairs section of the market includes shelves where traders display their goods for sale through B&B.

AMA conducted the impact study 2 years after the ACM was set up. Impact assessment methodologies used in the impact evaluation included:

• a focus group discussion with traders, which was recorded on video

• individual interviews with traders using a questionnaire
  

• Case studies of a sample of traders
  

• Interviews with the managers of the market (B&B) and the property owner

The impact study captured perception based data and where possible used statistical analysis based on data provided by the traders.

The research found that there are both positive and negative impacts resulting from the creation and formalisation of the ACM. Negative factors were related to the management model used as well as issues related to a lack of other types of support for the traders such as business and institutional development. The evaluation provides important lessons for the formalisation of craft markets in South Africa.

*Research commissioned by the Finmark Trust January-February 2003 and Paper to be presented by Angela Motsa with permission from Finmark Trust

to top of page

 

The Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded by clicking here