This empirical study in application-oriented Human Geography examined conditions of
entrepreneurial knowledge and skill enhancement strategies practiced by informal food
vendors in Windhoek’s Okuryangava suburb, which are apparently required for the
achievement of individual aspirations such as socio-economic resilience. Against the
analysis framework of the ‘Street Vendors Success and Knowledge Gap’, the research
focused on two components, namely the Social and the Human Capital. In pursuit of
this approach, the conducted in-depth, semi-structured face-to-face interviews revealed
that vendors carefully observe their competitive terrain, communicate verbally face-toface
as well as remote via cell phones with their social networks in order to obtain and
exchange entrepreneurial knowledge. Ultimately, findings confirmed the importance of
social networks in the improvement of informal food vendors’ business.
Simultaneously, the interviews captured the knowledge enhancement aspirations
harboured by informal food vendors with few insights into formal entrepreneurial
processes such as business management, technical skills and customer care.
Interviewees expressed their need for after-hours tuition, delivered through interactive
face-to-face teaching modes and / or public media, including learning material. Such
expression of interest called for instituted, demand-driven knowledge dissemination
systems for informal sector entrepreneurs. The author concluded that the findings of this
study could be of assistance to the compilation of syllabi for systematic informal sector
education and training in Namibia.