Don’t Miss Your Way!
Reports of newcomers missing their way at Mokolo market or getting confused as to what food item to buy where, are rife. Although the market is vast and confusing given the anarchy with which traders go about their business, just with a bit of care, a buyer can easily make his or herself out. If you need plantain, cocoyam and yam, you can either board a cap for Niki or “TEXACO en haut.” This leads to the Madagascar entrance of the market where these food items are found in large quantities. Although these products may be found in almost all sections of the market, their presence here in large quantities plays a lot on the price.
Where to Buy Cheaper
People who regularly buy at Mokolo know this secret. They only go for ‘stationed’ Buyam-sellams if traders from nearby villages have already finished selling their food or do not have what they need. They hold that these prices are quite affordable. Food dealers from nearby villages are generally in a hurry to finish selling and go back and so, most often, sell at cheaper prices while ‘stationed’ market women know already the weight of a customer’s purse from their appearance. Since they are never in a hurry, they fix their prices and will not hesitate to curse anyone who haggles much.
Off Day
Do not be confused. Business people at Mokolo have their own off day too. No matter how sweet business is, Wednesday is a no-go day at Mokolo. It has been set aside by the Yaounde City Council for cleaning-up. Market people use the opportunity to clean the dirt that piles up everyday so as to render the market dirt-free for their growing number of customers.
Vegetables, Pear, Palm nuts …
Even if everything is found almost everywhere in the market, traders in vegetables, pear, palm nuts and other food crops fresh from small-scale farms have a specific site. The eastern section of the market near Mokolo Elobi is reputed for these food crops. In fact, it is a village in miniature as small quantities of anything edible are available. Its peculiarity is that people who sell there are mostly from villages around Yaounde who harvest crops from their farms and sell there. Buyers say prices in this section of the market are also affordable.
