In Cape Town, we had the chance to explore the V&A Waterfront, an upscale shopping area with several restaurants and areas to walk along the water. My first surprise upon arriving at the V&A was how upscale it was. Some of the stores included an Aston Martin dealership, a Burberry, a Gucci, and an Armani Exchange. I was surprised how familiar the mall seemed to me, since I saw many of the same stores I’m accustomed to seeing at a normal American mall. Wandering around the mall, I felt myself forgetting that I was no longer in America. I felt surprised myself in immediately feeing comfortable at the V&A, since I expected shopping experiences to be much different than what I am used to at home. Having previously travelled to Morocco, I was expecting a similar experience, where almost everything purchased is haggled or bargained for, and there were few recognizable brand names. Outside of the V&A, there were many restaurants that looked like any restaurant one would find in America, as well as several tourist-oriented attractions, like a ferris wheel and street performers. I purchased some things at the pharmacy, and it was nearly identical as buying toiletries in the US.
We also travelled to the township of Langa, where our tour guide, who explained the local economy to us. When we entered the town, we were all immediately struck by the architecture of the local businesses that we could see. Shipping containers served as hair salons and pharmacies, and correlated metal shacks were serving food on the street. Rudimentary cement buildings were described to us as local bars, and had big signs outside reading “no drinking outside”. Contrary to the immaculate landscaping at the V&A, the streets of Langa were littered with trash. Nelson later explained to us that the refurbished shipping container shops were a direct result of the ‘get up and do something’ phenomenon that was initiated by the South African government to encourage impoverished people to improve their situations, instead of waiting for the government to help them. People did whatever they could to earn money using whatever skills they have, which included setting up a street vendor to serve food to people passing by. Nelson also explained that many people earn money by collecting trash on the street, and earn a cash stipend for each bag of trash they collect and deposit in the appropriate place. Although we didn’t do any shopping in Langa, I was struck by the stark contrast to the upscale shops we had seen just the day before, only a few minutes’ drive away. The restaurant we went to for lunch was essentially the back room of a woman’s home, which she had filled with tables and chairs. The meal was cooked for us in the woman’s kitchen, and she served the buffet in her foyer. I noticed several awards in the woman’s home, including ‘Best Ethnic Food’, from the past several years. From our discussions with Nelson and what I saw in her home, I assume the woman’s business was also a result of the ‘get up and do something’ movement; she used her cooking skills and the home she had to develop a thriving business to support her family.
In the local markets, the vendors all set up under tarps, and had tables covered in goods, as well as paintings and t shirts hanging on the walls and from the ceilings. Many of the vendors sold similiar or the same things, which lead to competitive pricing between them on similar goods, especially when they were set up close together. We had to bargain with the sellers to determine the prices of goods, usually beginning with a high price and negotiating down. Eventually, the sellers would give fairly low prices on goods, but some were reluctant to go below certain price points. Many of the items sold were crafty items or tourist oriented souvenirs, and included both handmade goods and mass produced ones, such as soccer jerseys. Vendors here arrive hours before the market opens in order to set up, and stay hours after closing to pack up and carry their unsold goods back home. In our class discussion, we addressed how these vendors need a permit or license to sell at the market, and face hefty fees if they are not in compliance with the law. Similar to what Nelson explained to us in the township of Langa, the vendors use whatever skills they possess in order to make money and survive. Handmade crafts and goods were made and sold by the vendors, similar to how locals sold food, services, and goods on the streets of Langa. Without utilizing the skills they have to build a business, many of these people would likely live in poverty, since they lack the education necessary for a professional career. The lack of proper education in many areas makes it necessary for people to find alternative ways of making a living with whatever skills they possess. The ‘wake up and do something’ movement has helped improve local economies over the past few years, particularly in townships like Langa. Despite the massive contrast between the upscale V&A waterfront and the extreme poverty that exists in Langa, the evidence of the struggle for many South Africans to survive economically is evident almost everywhere in Cape Town.
Do we respond differently to different types of shopping experiences ans what do they tell us about different economic classes in South Africa and how they earn a living? Do you think the ‘wake up and do something’ movement could be applied in the US?
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