Out of School, Into the Streets: Harare’s Children Selling to Survive
Hundreds of children, some as young as nine, are vending on Harare’s streets daily — selling airtime, sweets, fruits, second-hand clothes as poverty and unpaid school fees push them out of classrooms and into survival mode.
From Copacabana Bus Terminus to Market Square and Simon Muzenda Street, the city’s central business district (CBD) has become a marketplace for minors who should be in school.
A 2024 UNICEF Zimbabwe report estimates that nearly 1.6 million children are at risk of dropping out due to financial hardship.
The crisis has made classrooms a luxury and the streets a necessity.
Young girls face harassment from older men, while boys risk recruitment into criminal gangs.
Exploitative adults, police raids, and street gangs prey on these vulnerable children.
Some minors say they don’t even keep the money they earn — they are used as sales fronts by adults.
One girl, just 12 years old, described her daily routine: “They give me tomatoes in the morning, and I must return all the money. If I don’t sell enough, they shout at me or beat me.”
According to The Herald, 13-year-old Tinashe (not his real name) was seen weaving between kombis at Copacabana Bus Terminus, selling airtime cards and chewing gum.
He should be in class but the city streets have become both his workplace and his classroom.
“I stopped going to school last year because my mother could not pay my school fees. Now I sell here every day. If I don’t, we don’t eat.”
Authorities acknowledge the problem but say enforcement is difficult.
Harare City Council spokesperson Stanley Gama did not respond to requests for comment, according to The Herald.
Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Edgar Moyo expressed concern over the growing number of children trading in Harare’s CBD.
He said the Children’s Act identifies a “child in need of care” as one who begs or engages in street trading, making these children a direct concern for state intervention.
Section 14 of the Act empowers police, health, education, and child protection officers to remove children from unsafe environments and place them in safety.
Officers must notify a child protection officer within five days of such action.
Moyo said the ministry coordinates care and support for all vulnerable children, including those living and working on the streets.
This includes children from Zimbabwe and others from the region, such as the recent repatriation of 18 children from Mozambique who were vending in Harare.
He also cited the Angel of Hope Foundation’s Chambuta Children’s Home in Chiredzi as a successful rehabilitation centre that has helped reintegrate children into their communities, with improved skills and recovery from substance abuse.
Educationists in Mbare and Highfield say absenteeism is rising, with some pupils dropping out after Grade Six or Seven.
“They tell us straight: ‘I must sell to help my family.’ It is heartbreaking,” said Mr Edwin Mlambo.
Civil society groups are calling for stronger social protection programmes and safe shelters.
“Every child on the street today represents a future that is being stolen. This is not just about survival, it is a national crisis that demands political will,” said Ms Ruth Chikukwa.
As the sun sets over Simon Muzenda Street, Tinashe counts the few notes he earned. Around him, the city prepares for nightfall.
For him, tomorrow will bring the same routine — vending instead of school.
