The lived experiences of female street vendors during COVID-19 restrictions in the Eastern Cape Province

Abstract

This study explores the lived experiences and coping mechanisms of female street vendors in the Eastern Cape Province during the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. The pandemic and subsequent restrictions significantly disrupted the informal economy, placing female street vendors in a position of economic vulnerability and psychosocial strain. Drawing on Feminist Theory, Informal Economy Theory and the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, this qualitative study examines how inequalities and economic precarity intersected with the health crisis to shape the experiences of female vendors. A constructivist paradigm and phenomenological qualitative design were adopted. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically. The findings reveal that profound economic disruption, heightened caregiving burdens, fear of infection and psychological distress, alongside evidence of resilience, adaptive coping strategies and reliance on community and faith-based support systems. The study concludes that while female street vendors demonstrated considerable resilience, structural vulnerabilities exacerbated their distress. Recommendations are offered for gender-sensitive psychosocial interventions, community-based support structures and policy reforms to strengthen protection for informal workers during future crises.