Stall owners at the PX Village on Church Square complain that sales have not met their expectations, but stall owners at the Village Green said earlier this week that it was still too early to say whether this would be a good or bad year for them.
Stall owners at the PX Village on Church Square complain that sales have not met their expectations, but stall owners at the Village Green said earlier this week that it was still too early to say whether this would be a good or bad year for them.
Smart Zondo and Prosper Dlakama, who own an artwork stall at the PX Village, are entrepreneurs from Johannesburg. They are disappointed at the fact that it is called the National Arts Festival – yet people come to buy everyday items which they can get at their local shops.
“Let the people promote art,” said Zondo who feels that artwork is not a favourite among this year’s visitors.
They are having a hard time selling their handmade carved woodwork, forced to negotiate prices with their customers in order to sell their work.
Simba Simbarash is also a stall owner at the PX Village but unlike Zondo and Dlakama, he has had a successful time selling his international brand, Ubuntuism. The Zimbabwe national says he is able to cover his costs because he sells his items at roughly R100 each. This is enough for him, he says, and he is not worried about what seems to be a small turnout.
At the Village Green Fair Paul Page sells handmade cheese – 60% of which is made by him. He says while it is his first time here, he has not been disappointed by his sales
He says he's happy to pay the R4 250 rent, in the knowledge that it covers security.
Nomonde Madlalisa, who has been selling her traditional clothes at the Festival for the past 15 years, also values the good security offered by the venue and said she had sold enough to cover for her rent money in just three days.
