Contribution of the informal market of village chickens to sustainable livelihoods in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the contribution of the informal market of village chickens to sustainable livelihoods. The study was conducted in Durban and Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Central Business District (CBD). A questionnaire was administered to village chicken vendors in the CBD. A total of 50 village chicken vendors were selected and interviewed. In both Durban (100%) and Pietermaritzburg (77%), the majority of village chicken vendors were women (P<0.05). The primary source of income was the selling of chickens and vending in both areas (P>0.05) and the purpose was income generation (100%). None (0 %) of the village chicken vendors were exposed to chicken farming training on village chickens in Durban and 11% in Pietermaritzburg have been exposed to training (P<0.05). Over 85% were interested in attending chicken farming training in both areas. There was a significant difference (P<0.05) between the main source of income and the uses of chickens. It was concluded that the informal market for village chickens contributes to sustaining livelihoods through income, consumption and its driven by culture. It is recommended that training and resources to grow the informal market is suggested.