Property owners in Harare’s central business district (CBD) have raised alarm over the mushrooming of vendors selling the same products as them and their tenants directly in front of their buildings.
The concerns were aired on Monday during the City of Harare’s 2026–2030 Strategic Planning stakeholder consultative meeting at Golden Conifer.
Several property owners warned that the unchecked growth of informal trading was pushing businesses to relocate to outlying suburbs, leaving buildings in the CBD vacant.
“We find ourselves in a vicious circle where the council needs to collect rates from us, and at the same time we are unable to pay those rates on time because our business and that of our tenants is being affected by these vendors,” said one participant.
They also cited mounting property tax bills, despite declining occupancy.
“Most of these buildings, especially office blocks, are vacant, yet the tax bill remains high,” one property owner said.
Another noted that new shopping centres outside the CBD are luring tenants because they are free from competition with street vendors.
“That also affects the rent that we charge. We have to be mindful that most of the buildings in the CBD are owned by pension funds,” he said. “They also affect pensions. We need a solution, we need to identify places for vendors to operate from in the CBD, where they will also pay rates.”
The meeting highlighted the growing tension between formal businesses and informal traders, with property owners urging the city council to strike a balance that protects investments while also accommodating vending in a structured manner.
Source – The Herald
