machinga

plural machingas

1. countableuncountableTanzaniaA street vendor; a hawker.

   For the past few years, machingas have been left to occupy major markets across the country despite complaints from registered traders. In most extreme circumstances, a machinga would lay out assorted merchandise infront^([sic]) of a licensed trader’s shop.

   2021 June 18, Louis Kalumbia, “Why the petty traders issue can’t be ignored”, in The Citizen Tanzania, archived from the original on 04 Aug 2021

   2 more examples

   After buying, one has to move from one place to another persuading prospective buyers to take your goods. In some places, the machingas are unwanted. We have many places with the words, ‘hawkers are not allowed in.” On a good day a machinga can sell most of his or her ware, and on a bad day, no sale at all.

   2021 October 24, Saumu Jumanne, “The plight of ‘machingas’, let’s show some love”, in The Citizen Tanzania, archived from the original on 24 Oct 2021

   “The government has lost a lot of revenue from allowing the machinga to do business anywhere,” said Walter Nguma, a Dar es Salaam-based economist and analyst. “They pay no tax, so the government doesn’t make any money from them. Yet formal shop owners who do contribute are struggling to make enough as the machinga takes their customers.

   2022 April 6, Priya Sippy, “Tanzania: Displaced petty traders struggle with new market rules”, in Al Jazeera English, archived from the original on 04 Oct 2022