Street sellers’ new business - 5th July 2021

Street sellers are working together in their own company. It makes their own brand of trainers. In the past, they used to sell bad copies of designer shoes.

The company, which is called ‘Top Manta’, makes the trainers in Spain and Portugal.

Barcelona has a lot of street sellers. Many street sellers come from Senegal. The word ‘manta’ means ‘blanket’ in their language. This name was chosen because they place their products on a blanket.

The sellers used to have problems with the law. They sold copies of famous brands. “Now we have our own brand,” says Top Manta worker Lamine Sarr.

The new trainers are called ‘Ande Dem’, which means ‘walking together’. Their logo is a picture of a blanket. It looks similar to waves. They chose this symbol because of their dangerous journey by boat to Spain.

‘Top Manta’ trainers are tough. They’re suitable to wear for working outdoors. Their colours are typically African.

Sarr believes that it’s better to buy trainers from ‘Top Manta’ than from famous companies. He says they pay their workers badly.

The price of the trainers is €115, and the profits will go to the sellers’ families.