A rare negotiating success

There are of course “mzungu” prices here, elevated specially for white people on the two assumptions that they are rich (usually correct) and that they will easily part with their money (sometimes incorrect). Generally expats become less tolerant of these prices the longer they live here, certainly true in our case. The practice of attempted price inflation varies enormously – food in the market just a little, in shops not at all, but others are quite outrageous in their attempts to make money.
Recently, I went to the market to buy a pair of trainers. These seem to come, along with many second-hand clothes, in bundles which are bought in bulk by stall-holders and then sorted out. Presumably the original sources are in the West somewhere. The sight of a mzungu buying something was of course enough to gather a small crowd of spectators in the market, but as usual it was good-natured curiosity. This is just an unavoidable part of life here.
So I was presented with a pair of trainers and asked for 40,000 Frw (£40). I laughed and said I was looking for a serious price.
“How much will you pay?” was the response.
“5,000 Frw” I replied. Knowing that people typically pay between 5,000 and 10,000 for shoes is a great advantage. Otherwise, it is hard to believe that the seller will come down so far from the first attempt.
Now it was the seller’s turn to be incredulous.
“You cannot find shoes at that price in the market” (actually, you cannot find shoes at 40,000 Frw in the market).
Sheena’s arrival was timely – she got hers for 6,000 Frw just a few weeks ago. “Those are ladies’ shoes” was the response. I made my final offer of 7,000 Frw.
We have found that the only way forward from this situation is to leave. If your offer is at all reasonable you will be followed so that the deal can be closed. It is much less emotionally satisfying than haggling towards a mutually agreed price, but it is the only thing which works, at least in Kamembe. Sure enough, the seller was soon after me to make sure that I took the shoes. They are a brand new pair of tennis shoes, so I am quite pleased and the seller also got a good price.
It’s all a bit more wearing than going to a shoe shop at home, but if you are in the mood it can be quite fun, especially if you get a good deal. That probably happens less often than not in my case, but the tennis shoes were a definite success.