One of Widnhoek’s most iconic sights is the figure of the newspaper vendor weaving between cars, swiftly organising change and thrusting the day’s broadsheet into a motorist’s outstretched hand.
Should you be in the vicinity of Game along Windhoek’s Simeon Shixungileni Street, the vendor eager to make your acquaintance may very well be Naftal Thomas.
Thomas has been selling newspapers such as The Namibian in the very same spot for over 20 years. The intersection ahead is a good one. The morning brings high traffic as people head to work, drop their children off at school and the city sprawls in every direction.
On a warm spring morning, Thomas has been working since about 04h30.
The early hour is when The Namibian’s street sales office opens at its headquarters in Windhoek West and Thomas joins scores of newspaper vendors collecting the day’s paper.
“I get here early, and I come by taxi, but the problem in Katutura is thieves,” he says.
“It’s not safe to walk around looking for transport at that time. Maybe we should ask the newspaper to provide a kombi.”
At the street sales office, Thomas collects 50 copies of The Namibian alongside a number of other publications and gets to Game at around 06h00.
“When I first started, I would collect more than a hundred newspapers, but now I collect 50,” he says.
“At the beginning it was good. But now, the problem is that the economy is down. Covid-19 affected us, but people also don’t buy so much because of the internet,” he says.
“Sometimes street vendors suffer because many people read the newspaper online. I sell all my newspapers. But I want to sell more than 50 so I can get a nice profit.”
Though the move to digital news access seems to have hampered Windhoek street vendor sales, Thomas says he likes the job.
“I need it,” he says. “Sometimes, I get a good tip. Sometimes you laugh with your friend. The people are my friends. Some I see every day. I say ‘Oh, that’s my car!’ and hurry to go sell. Today, I saw you, so tomorrow I’ll say: ‘My, friend, do you remember me?’”
Thomas reads The Namibian when he gets the chance but always tries to note the headlines.
“Yes, I read it. Today, at the top, there’s that other tate,” he says, running his hand over his head to refer to Namibia’s ambassador to Switzerland, Elvis Shiweda, who is on the front page.
“Before my customers come, I just check what’s happening.”
Despite the convenience of online subscriptions and digital access, Thomas believes newspaper vendors still have an important role to play in Namibian society.
“We’re important because sometimes people don’t have time to go and buy a newspaper in the shop, but they want to know what is going on in the world,” he says.
“We’re important because we bring the news nearby to the people.”
Thomas ends his newspaper sales work at around 11h00 and stops to encourage people to keep buying newspapers from street vendors so they can support their families.
“I’ve sold everything and I’m going to Katutura,” he says. “I’m finished for the day and I’m waiting for tomorrow.”
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