Aspects of hawking in the Transkei, 1920-1945

Abstract

During the 20th century Transkei became a place of migrant workers, old people, women and children. The gradual impoverishment of the region and its African population paradoxically was accompanied by economic opportunities for whites, particularly in the towns. Poor whites fleeing the harsh economic climate of white South Africa were able to succeed as hawkers in Transkei largely because local authorities had discriminatory policies towards black competition. In the countryside African maize traders attempted without much success to gain direct access to the market and thus evade the financial power of the vested white traders.