Sell snacks, sweets, fruit, cold drinks, phone accessories or everyday goods from a small stall where people pass every day, such as a taxi rank, station or busy corner, with the right trading permit.
- Who it suits
People who can be at the same spot at the same times every day, like talking to regulars and can handle cash safely.
- Who pays
Commuters, taxi drivers and passengers, school children, workers on lunch break.
- What they get
Quick, cheap everyday things right where people are, without a trip to the shops.
- Is there demand?
Municipalities run formal informal-trading permit systems because trading at ranks and busy streets is common. Johannesburg has an online informal trader application and rolled out a new registration system in October 2025. We found no published figures on what a typical stall earns.
- Real examples
- Taxi ranks and train stations
- Outside schools and clinics
- Busy corners near shops
- Pay-day weekends near ATMs
- Sports and church events
A good sign: you sell out a small first batch of stock in a week.