Small businesses target late night shoppers

STEPHEN TUMUSIIME discovers shops that open when the sun goes down Have you ever wondered why people talk about Nyamirambo at night and why you will always find a taxi heading there never mind the hour? Arriving there, I discovered that people weren’t conforming to the typical nine to five work day. As the sun goes down, for many business picks up. People are crowded around temporary stalls. The place is busy and most people seem not to be worried about the time, as in most places where at 8pm people are already in bed. Most of the businesses that buzz during the night are hawking or mobile businesses but there are also a few shops which you will never find open day time. Ashraf Munyawera who deals in second hand shoes says that night is his best time to make money. “We make a lot of money here at night compared to day time. You won’t find a lot of people here during the day.” Munyawera says that at night he makes triple what he used to make during the day. “I now days do some other things at home during day and head for business at night.” “We are always on the run during day. The police do not want us to line on streets and it’s expensive to rent a commercial house to work from when you are making a lot,” says an anonymous hawker. Beatha Giramata deals in apples and passion fruits. She explains that her business helps her to raise two kids who both go to school in primary and pays off her rent fairs. “I used to work day light too until my friend told me of magic at night. That’s why I opted to start working at night.” Giramata says that Nyamirambo is full of youth. “That’s why you will find business booming at night because youth like going home late.” She says that most of the businesses target the youth. “As you can see [showing me different business taking place in the area], no business has old people’s items. This is because they are asleep at this time.” Michael Mikiza is a hawker. Most of the clothes he sells differ from those you find during the day. He calls them designer clothes and says that youth are his prominent customers. Ends