Abstract:
This study assessed the socio-economic contributions of informal trading practices on streets by
youth aged 15 to 29 in Addis Ababa, Bole Sub-city. It examined and plainly presented
multifaceted challenges that different parties are encountered due to illegal street vending
practice. The study has insightfully reviewed and collected data both from primary and
secondary data sources that matches with research title, target area and population. To get the
real phenomena of the issue, data gathered with a qualitative research approach through
methods of in-depth interview and personal observation. Explanatory research design has
executed for the purpose of this study. The in-depth key interviews and personal observations
applied rightly at convenient and purposively selected areas in Bole Sub-city. A total of 71
respondents that include Youth street vendors, government officials, pedestrians, customers,
formal traders, drivers, traffic polices and cleaners who were randomly as well as purposively
selected were mainly participated in this study. Qualitative analysis of the qualitative data could
be conducted through a method of content analysis, narrative analysis and discourse
analysis. Hence, the findings of the study proved that street vending is significantly providing
manifold benefits for both the street venders and customers. Since it requires small capital,
youth are easily engage and use it as a bridge to start formal trading. However, the study also
found out the multifaceted challenges among and between street vendors, government and
customers and/or the public. Street vending has multiple adverse effects on the formal traders,
pedestrians, traffic jam, stealing and taxing system. On the other hand, street vendors themselves
served different challenges and difficulties that came from the government side such as biting,
confiscations, prisoning and others.
