Local tuckshops remain a key lifeline for many households

By Nobukhosi Ndlovu

In many residential communities, household tuckshops that gained prominence following the COVID-19 pandemic remain an important lifeline, helping families generate income and meet daily needs.

In Bulawayo, some households who adopted this, ‘tuckshop culture,’ converted parts of their homes into small retail outlets and vending stalls. For residents, it is now easier to find at least one tuckshop operating within close walking distance, highlighting the growing role of small, home-based businesses in supporting everyday livelihoods.

Local residents also say the shops play an important social role in communities, “It helps young people stay away from drugs and find other means of sustaining themselves,” Zama, a Bulawayo resident shared.

She explained that running small businesses become a way for young people who could not get the opportunity to advance in their education to stay occupied and build connections within their neighbourhoods.

A tuckshop owner, who wanted to be identified as Nomsa, said the decision to open the business was driven by the need to generate income in the midst of limited employment opportunities.

Nomsa went on to highlight the challenges she has faced as a tuckshop owner, explaining that running the business requires constant effort and comes with a lot of risks, “sometimes thieves target these shops because they know groceries are stored here,” she said.

She added that the daily routine of unpacking and displaying stock can remove product packaging, which then affect sales, “customers do not trust items that do not look properly wrapped,” she noted.

Nomsa also pointed out that sometimes the rising grocery prizes make it difficult to maintain a stable profit.

Apart from supporting their households, another owner who preferred to stay anonymous said tuckshops have also improved access to everyday groceries within their communities. Residents are now able to buy basic items closer to home rather than travelling long distances to super markets.

“The tuckshops help people because they can buy things even at night. If someone runs out of an ingredient while cooking, they can just come here without worrying about supermarkets that would have closed for the day,” they said.

For Sanele Sibanda, running a tuckshop has become a necessary way to sustain her family after her health weakened.

“I started by selling vegetables to pay for school fees, and now it has grown into a tuckshop.” Sibanda said, sharing how she previously travelled in and out of the city selling goods, but can no longer manage.

“It is a stressful business,” Sibanda added, “but we are doing it to survive. No one is doing it because they enjoy it. All these people, selling in the streets, they are not enjoying it.”

She also explained how over the years she had made attempts to obtain the formal requirements to run the business but found the expenses of the process overwhelming. “We just want officials to be a bit lenient or offer alternatives that allow us to sustain our livelihoods,” she added.

Despite all these challenges, tuckshop owners say the business remains a crucial source of income for families while providing an important service to their communities.

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