eThekwini is inviting informal traders to help shape updated trading regulations designed to strengthen local economic participation, improve safety and respond to realities across communities citywide.
The municipality will begin a series of Informal Trade and Retail Markets By-law Review Roadshows on 13 October 2026, giving traders and sector stakeholders an opportunity to contribute directly to proposed regulatory changes.
The consultation process forms part of a review of the Retail Markets By-law and Informal Trade By-law, both originally promulgated in 2014.
The municipality is considering amendments through the Retail Markets First Amendment By-law and Informal Trade Third Amendment By-law 2026.
For thousands of informal traders, municipal regulations influence where they can operate, how trading spaces are managed and the conditions under which businesses interact with customers and public infrastructure.
The roadshows are therefore intended to ensure that proposed changes reflect the practical realities faced by traders rather than being developed without direct sector participation.
Chairperson of the Economic Development and Planning Committee Thembo Ntuli said the review aims to create a regulatory environment that balances orderly trading with greater economic participation.
“The input of traders and stakeholders is critical to ensuring that the proposed amendments respond to realities on the ground,” Ntuli said.
The informal economy remains an important source of income and entrepreneurship across eThekwini, particularly for residents who may have limited access to formal employment opportunities.
Street traders, market operators and small retailers contribute to local commercial activity while providing goods and services within communities and transport corridors.
For the municipality, creating a supportive regulatory framework means balancing economic opportunity with issues including public safety, trading space management, infrastructure and access.
The first consultation will take place at the iTRUMP Hall in Durban’s central business district on Tuesday, 13 October, from 10am.
Further engagements will be held across the municipality during October and November to ensure traders in different regions have an opportunity to participate.
Inner and Outer West consultations are scheduled for 16 October at the Pinetown Civic Centre Council Chamber and 22 October at Clermont Hall at the Clermont Sizakala Centre. Both sessions begin at 9am.
The South Areas consultation will take place at uMlazi V Community Hall on 27 October from 10am.
A North Areas engagement will follow at Bester Community Hall on 29 October, also beginning at 10am.
The Coastal Areas consultation is scheduled for 5 November at Durban Surfing Club.
Upper North engagements will then take place at oThongathi Sports Centre on 10 November and Verulam Library on 11 November, with both sessions beginning at 10am.
The municipality says the consultation process is intended to keep regulation responsive to changes within the informal economy while creating conditions in which traders can participate more effectively in local economic activity.
Meaningful consultation is particularly important because regulatory decisions can directly affect the ability of small businesses to trade consistently, access customers and build sustainable livelihoods.
For traders, the roadshows provide an opportunity to raise operational concerns and influence rules that will shape how informal and retail markets function in future.
For eThekwini, the process offers an opportunity to strengthen relationships with a sector that plays a significant role in local livelihoods and entrepreneurship.
The broader objective is to develop regulations that support safe and organised trading without creating unnecessary barriers for people trying to earn an income and grow small businesses.
By placing traders directly within the review process, the municipality is positioning participation as an important part of building a more inclusive local economy.
