In message , none
writes
So far there are many hypotheses, but no evidence.

Is there not anyone living in Africa, who personally knows a vendor or two,
who can find out?

The reason I persist is the answer(s) will be in a travelogue that may be
published.

"none" wrote in message
...
I was recently visiting Tanzania and encountered a mystery for which I can
find no answer. It is about getting change for small purchases from street
vendors. It was especially noticable when buying food from vendors in
Zanzibar. Here is the typical scenario:

I am in line behind several people buying seafood barbeque at a very busy
waterfront market. This is the place where hundreds of tourists find
wonderful food in Stonetown, Zanzibar. The vendor is doing a very brisk
business. I order perhaps 1,500 shillings worth of something, get it, and
here is the mystery - he never has change. I know he has been stuffing
money
hand over fist under the table cloth or into his pockets. He does not
usually even need to look in these places, but knows he does not have
change. I get my food and stand around waiting while the vendor disappears
off into the darkness and returns in a minute or two with change. I was
never cheated, so short or no change was not what was going on. I was
never
able to figure out where the vendor went or who he met. This happened over
and over, not only on the waterfront, but at other vendors as well. In
Arusha I met a German expat whom I asked about this. He said he had been
in
Tanzania for 3 years and had still not figured it out. Is it some kind of
underground banking going on? Is there a money holder off site for robbery
protection?

Can anyone explain this??????




I don`t think that you will find anyone who can explain it, it is quite
simply part of the African way of life! There is no grand mystery,
it`s part of what happens in the daily life amongst small traders and
in village markets.
Pat
--
Pat Anderson