A spatial analysis of female street traders in the Bloemfontein Central Business District

[摘要] English: Literature on South African cities has focused on the spatial transformation of South African cities and in particular, South African Central Business Districts (CBDs). Areview of the literature suggests that not much empirical evidence exists on understanding the spatiality of informal businesses in the CBD. This study is therefore aimed at identifying and analyzing the spatial patterns of female informal traders operating businesses in the Bloemfontein CBD. Research objectives include theidentification of the spatial locations used by female informal traders in theBloemfontein Central Business District, an exploration of the importance of location tofemale informal traders in the Bloemfontein Business District and an exploration of theimpacts of location to female informal traders in the Bloemfontein CBD. The studymade use of multiple research techniques which included semi-structured interviews,plotting female informal traders' locations using a Global Positioning System (GPS),structured observations and secondary data. Through the application of ClusterTheory and through mapping the locations of the female informal traders in theBloemfontein, it is clear that there is a clustered spatial pattern of female informaltraders in the Bloemfontein CBD. The study also highlighted some of the factors whichinfluenced the clustered spatial patterns of the traders as well as access to customers.The study contributes to the understanding of the importance of location for an informalbusiness and also unpacks some of the implications of clustered spatial patterns. It is,therefore, asserted that spatial patterns of informal trading activities in South Africancities are just as important as the patterns of formal businesses.

[发布机构] University of the Free State