South Africa’s informal economy continues to absorb thousands of people locked out of formal employment, yet many economists argue that national and municipal policy still treats informal trade as a peripheral issue rather than a central part of economic life. A recent article co-authored by Siphelele Ngidi argues that while informal traders provide essential goods, services and income in communities across the country, economic policy remains largely designed around formal businesses and overlooks the realities facing street traders, market vendors and small survivalist enterprises.