Street trading is a global phenomenon, and women are increasingly taking up street trading to augment their income and feed their families. This article presents the experiences and challenges of women street traders within the lens of the dual labour theory that stratifies formal and informal dichotomies. The study randomly interviewed 115 women from the street fruit and vegetable market and analyzed the data using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences computer software. Findings show that poverty and unemployment are the key drivers of the women participation in informal fruits and vegetable trading. Most women street traders secure start-up for their business from personal savings, family and friends, as they cannot secure loans from banks because of lack of collateral. The major obstacles by street fruit and vegetable vendors include limited support from central and local governments, competition from the formal businesses and fellow vendors, theft of goods and until recently the reduced trading hours imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The study recommends the development of legislation for, and registration of informal trading to harmonise their operations and the extension of the sector`s trading hours. In addition, more security mechanisms are required to reduce the levels of theft among traders themselves and from robbery who pounce on traders as they predominantly transact in cash. Moreover, the strict enforcement of the COVID-19 regulations such as social distancing, handwashing and proper wearing of masks is critical towards reducing the spread of the pandemic within the informal sector.