The unreported economic value chain surrounding street hawking, particularly in the bread-selling sector, has revealed an intricate and beneficial system that supports numerous livelihoods.
During a live report for the “Keep an Eye” segment, GTV Breakfast Show’s Darroll Allan Tagoe spoke with street hawkers at the Kasoa toll booth, uncovering how bread makes its way from factories to the streets.
Street hawkers, who represent the final link in the value chain before the bread reaches consumers, explained how they obtain their goods from middle suppliers. These middle suppliers purchase bread directly from factories at wholesale prices, mark it up slightly, and then supply it to hawkers. This system is essential for hawkers, many of whom lack the capital needed to buy bread directly from factories.
One hawker shared, “I get my bread from a supplier who buys it from the factory. I sell it at a small profit, which I keep after returning the supplier’s money at the end of the day. This way, I don’t need a large amount of money to start my day.”
This model provides several advantages:
- Accessibility for Hawkers: By allowing hawkers to acquire bread without significant upfront capital, this system enables more people to engage in street hawking, providing a vital source of income for many low-income individuals.
- Profit Margins: Hawkers add a small margin to the bread they sell, which constitutes their daily profit. This model ensures a steady income stream for hawkers, who can reliably earn money each day without needing large reserves of capital.
- Sustainable Supply Chain: The middle suppliers play a crucial role in maintaining a smooth supply chain, bridging the gap between large-scale factories and individual hawkers. This ensures that bread is consistently available to consumers at various points throughout the city.
- Support for Factories: By facilitating the sale of bread through multiple layers of the supply chain, factories benefit from steady demand and increased distribution without having to manage numerous small-scale transactions directly.
During the interview, hawkers expressed their appreciation for the system, noting that it allows them to earn a living and support their families. “This arrangement helps me a lot,” one hawker commented. “I can work every day and make enough to take care of my needs.”
The revelation of this value chain underscores the importance of street hawking as a crucial component of the informal economy in Ghana. It highlights the ingenuity and resilience of those who participate in this sector, finding ways to thrive despite limited resources.
As the conversation around economic development and support for small-scale traders continues, the insights from street hawkers at the Kasoa toll booth provide a valuable perspective on the interconnectedness of various players within the value chain and the potential for collaborative economic growth.
