Challenges Affecting Street Vending Business in Tanzania: A Review and Analysis from the Existing Literature

Abstract

The street vending business is a crucial sector for the growth of the livelihood of most poor people in Tanzania. This study aimed at answering the question: “what have researchers done  concerning  factors  affecting  street  vending  business?”  This  study  critically  reviewed articles related to the street vending business in Tanzania. A total of 15 academic articles were generated from Google scholar and analyzed using content analysis. This study found out that the existing literature focused on five main themes, including challenges facing street vending business, skills & technology, social-cultural, law/regulation & policies, and urbanization. Although the existing literature has pointed out multiple challenges affecting street vendors, if street  vendors  were  given  business  skills  and  support  from  the  government,  they  would contribute significantly to economic growth. This study contributed to new knowledge by proposing various strategies on how to improve the street vending business.  The proposed strategies include; establishing clear policy and guidelines for street business, a collaborative mechanism to manage the street vendors, and enhancing street vendors' training for their growth and sustainability.