Hustle vs. Order: Balancing Zimbabwe’s Informal Economy and Civic Life

Close-up of street food being prepared in an urban setting, illustrating the intersection of culture and commerce. [Illustrative photo]

The aroma of roasted liver wafts through the hustle and bustle of Harare’s First Street. Under ordinary circumstances, it would stir appetite and nostalgia, a reminder of the city’s vibrant street food culture. This time, however, the smell carries discomfort. The liver is being roasted on an open flame at the entrance of a leading retail store, smoke drifting into shopfronts as pedestrians squeeze past.

It is a small, familiar scene that speaks to a much bigger urban question: how does Zimbabwe balance hustle culture with civic order?

In today’s Zimbabwe, the hustle is not a lifestyle choice; it is survival. As formal employment opportunities shrink and household incomes remain under pressure, the informal economy has become the backbone of everyday life. Street vendors, mobile food traders, backyard manufacturers, and pop-up service providers are not operating on the fringes, they are central to how the city functions. Hustling has evolved into both an economic strategy and a cultural identity, a marker of resilience in hard times.

But cities are shared spaces. And when hustle expands without structure, it begins to collide with public safety, hygiene, accessibility, and basic urban order.

The roasting of liver at a shop entrance is not merely an aesthetic issue. Open flames near commercial buildings present fire hazards. Unregulated food handling raises legitimate public health concerns. Congested pavements make movement difficult for the elderly, people with disabilities, and parents with young children. Retailers, already operating in a tough economic climate, are forced to contend with blocked entrances, smoke, and litter.

This is where the debate often becomes polarised. Any attempt to regulate informal traders is framed as an attack on livelihoods, while calls for order are interpreted as elitist or out of touch. On the other end of the spectrum are those who argue that disorder must be crushed through raids, confiscations, and fines. Zimbabwe has tried both approaches before, and neither has delivered lasting solutions.

Force-heavy crackdowns do not eliminate informal trading; they simply displace it. Vendors chased from one street resurface on the next. Confiscated wares are replaced within days. The result is a cycle of confrontation, resentment, and deepening informality, with little improvement to urban order.

Yet turning a blind eye to chaos is equally untenable. Cities cannot function on improvisation alone. Without agreed-upon rules, shared spaces quickly become contested spaces, and it is often ordinary citizens, pedestrians, consumers, and small businesses who bear the cost.

The real challenge, then, is not choosing between hustle and order, but designing a city where the two can coexist.

That begins with acknowledging reality. Informal trading is not a temporary inconvenience waiting to disappear once the economy recovers. It is structural. Urban planning that treats vendors as a nuisance rather than stakeholders is planning that no longer reflects lived realities. City centres require deliberately designed vending zones, managed food courts, and flexible trading spaces equipped with water, waste disposal, and fire-safe infrastructure. Pushing vendors to distant, low-traffic areas only guarantees their return to prohibited zones.

Local authorities also need to rethink their role. Managing a complex urban economy requires more than enforcement. Affordable registration systems, clear operating guidelines, basic health and safety training, and consistent application of by-laws can foster compliance. When rules are transparent and predictable, they are easier to respect.

Hustlers, too, carry responsibility. Survival does not justify recklessness. Trading at building entrances, blocking walkways, or ignoring hygiene standards undermines public trust and strengthens calls for harsh regulation. Civic responsibility is not anti-hustle; it is what allows hustle to exist sustainably within dense urban environments.

Consumers are not passive actors either. Demand for convenience and low prices fuels informal trading. Where and how people choose to buy shapes the behaviour of the urban economy. Conscious consumption can encourage safer and more organised trading practices.

Above all, dialogue must replace confrontation. Vendors, retailers, residents, and city officials rarely share the same table, yet they compete daily for the same limited space. Platforms for consultation can help define no-go areas, agree on operating hours, and resolve legitimate grievances before they harden into conflict. Order imposed without consultation invites resistance; order built through participation earns buy-in.

Zimbabwean cities should not be forced to choose between vibrancy and functionality. A city can be alive with hustle and still be safe, clean, and accessible. The smell of roasted liver should evoke culture and commerce, not concern.

The balance lies in recognising that hustle signals economic life, while order reflects civic maturity. Zimbabwe needs both, and the future of its cities depends on getting that balance right.

Simbarashe Namusi is a peace, leadership, and governance scholar as well as a media expert