Mbare Musika has been described as a viable commercial centre where different kinds of commodities can be found in one place. We present below the Harare City Council’s statement.
MBARE Township – Harare’s oldest suburb – has been in existence since 1907. Every mention of the name reminds one of the country’s largest bus terminus which links the capital city with the country’s outlying areas.
Despite its old age, Mbare exudes life and remains an eventful commercial hub – the city’s economic nerve centre code-named in some circles as the billion-dollar centre in terms of daily financial circulation.
All forms of trade that range from upmarket goods and services to second-hand products exchange hands in Mbare daily. Council has put up markets in Mbare that sell various goods from trinkets, vegetables, farming and mining equipment.
Farmers and retailers constitute the biggest number of traders in Mbare. Upmarket restaurants and hotels form a beeline in Mbare every morning to get fresh produce for the dining table. Fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, onions, carrots, cowpeas, cabbages and oranges, dried sugar beans, groundnuts and okra are part of a daily shopping basket in Mbare. The farmers’ market consists of producers selling their products in bulk to retailers and vendors, who repack for reselling. Trading in the Farmers’ Market begins as early as 0400hrs and ends at the break of day to allow individual vendors to trade.
To allow for ease of movement, a curio shop was established close to the fruit and vegetable market. This market is a huge tourist attraction as visitors to Harare jostle to buy the popular Mbira, drum and clay pots among other trinkets such as walking sticks.
Herbalists selling libido-enhancing herbs, luck charms, and love portions are a huge attraction. Jokingly, people generally say, “Whatever you want to buy, you can find it in Mbare”. This is verified in Mbare’s Musika’s hardware market, Siyaso (leave it like that). The market is the township’s industrial hub, made up of indigenous traders and manufacturers of various products ranging from building material and farming equipment.
Mupedzanhamo market, satirically called ‘Kotamai Boutique’ is well known for providing locals with affordable second-hand clothes, usually imported from Mozambique, popularly known as ‘mabhero’ and a flea market, which specializes in new clothes is also available adjacent to Mbare Musika rank, while grocery and other household utensils are being sold at KwaTsiga market.
By Simbarashe Musaki