MARKETS OF WARWICK - Durban

To appreciate the diversity and success of the markets today, the historical significance of the Warwick area is important. Steeped in racial discrimination, the Warwick area was neglected and abandoned by the apartheid government. It was initially Indian indentured labourers who began trading on the street sidewalks in this area, and for example, built the beautiful Badsha Peer Shrine which remains an iconic piece of architecture in Brook Street. With the gradual influx of black African traders into the area, Warwick became a central hub of commerce and trading activity despite constant harassment by the apartheid police, the "blackjacks". It was only in the late 1980s that traders were given recognition for their economic contribution and granted permission to remain in specifically  

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allocated trading locations on the streets. Since then trader committees have been established to work alongside the Municipality and various sector support organizations to create and maintain an effective informal trading location benefiting the traders and the 70, 000 – 100, 000 people who depend on these vendors’ income. This tour is an initiative of the local traders to showcase their merchandise and the endemic and vibrant energy of their markets. These tours are made possible through the assistance of the NGO Asiye eTafuleni, and demonstrate how local informal traders can be successfully incorporated into urban spaces, benefiting not only the traders and their livelihood, but the local tourism industry as well.