Lesotho: The untold story of women cross-border traders

The article focuses on women informal cross-border traders in Lesotho who depend on regular travel to South Africa to sustain their livelihoods. It highlights how these traders, often overlooked in economic policy discussions, support households, pay school fees and contribute to local markets while operating within an informal trading system marked by uncertainty and risk.

Using the experience of Moratuoa Mavis Motseki, a former dental therapist turned entrepreneur, the story illustrates how women enter cross-border trade in pursuit of economic independence. The article outlines practical challenges faced by traders, including unsafe and costly transport, long queues at border posts, tax compliance pressures and confusion around documentation requirements.

The story also examines how women rely on peer networks for survival and how training initiatives led by organisations such as BAM Group Foundation, in partnership with Revenue Services Lesotho, are helping traders better understand compliance processes. It underscores the need for clearer systems, accessible information and safer transport options to enable women traders to move beyond survival towards more stable livelihoods.

LINK TO PUBLISHED STORY: https://informativenews.co.ls/2026/02/11/the-untold-story-of-women-cross-border-traders/

This article, first published by Informative Newspaper, is part of the Media Parity Capacity Building and republished as part of the programme series.