In total 122 surveys of sanitation retailers were carried out, at least one in each district. 73.8% of surveys were conducted in rural areas and 26.2% in urban. The graph above shows the type of trade sanitation retailers undertake. For two thirds (67.2%) it is not in sanitation services that they get the most of their business income. While 14.8% of sanitation retailers businesses have been operational for more than 10 years, just under half of those surveyed (46.7%) have been operational for less than 5 years.

The graph above shows the type of trade sanitation retailers undertake. For two thirds (67.2%) it is not in sanitation services that they get the most of their business income. While 14.8% of sanitation retailers businesses have been operational for more than 10 years, just under half of those surveyed (46.7%) have been operational for less than 5 years.

The majority of sanitation retailers have (84.4%) have private households as customers but mason and contractors, NGOs, private businesses and government are frequent customers too. Over two thirds of retailers (68.9%) stated that they made their biggest profits in the dry season, but a quarter (24.4%) stated that the season made no difference to business profits.

This table  shows the challenges sanitation retailers reported that their businesses face. Another factor is government regulations, two fifths (43.4%) reported that these affect how they operate their business. When asked to cite these the most popular responses were taxes in general (32.1%), and specifically GST (18.9%) and also the Sunday trading ban (5.7%)