“For the past few years, I have been making a living out of this business,” said one local man. “Many other people from my area are also relying on this business as it allows us to complement our meager finances. Through the money we get we can pay school fees for our children and buy some groceries.” A 20l bucket of mangoes sells for between $3 and $4.
Lorry drivers have also capitalized on the business environment by charging villagers a transport fee to take them to Harare. However, concern has been raised over the quality of the fruit as most of the mangoes are being sold too early.
“The problem is that we are desperate for cash as the situation is hard in the rural areas. This is why most of us resort to selling the fruit at a very early stage,” said a villager who identified herself as Mai Kazungu.