Western Cape business owners are feeling the pinch as the taxi drivers' strike in the province continued for the fifth consecutive day on Monday. There are also concerns about the impact of the strike on the livelihoods of the most vulnerable.

In Cape Town's northern suburbs, in a mini-supermarket, sat Ishmael, who did not provide his last name. He runs the store on Parow's Voortrekker Road, a key transport node. On Monday, when Daily Maverick visited his store, there were only three people inside.

"It has affected my profit so badly," he said about the strike.

"There is no one coming at all right now because of the ongoing taxi strike. My income has suffered greatly as a result of this strike. This is unacceptable because we are all just trying to survive."

Another Cape Town entrepreneur, Phumlani Mantanga, started his business in a bid to pay off his student debt, but now his clients are asking for refunds as he cannot deliver items such as bags, shoes and sunglasses.

Mantanga, who is based in Nyanga, the scene of some of Monday's violence, said his stock was kept at a warehouse and drivers were not comfortable delivering goods in violence hotspots.

"It's affecting me a lot as this is how I make a living. I'm unable to get my stock delivered because the drivers are scared of where I stay, and I cannot deliver the items to their owners. Some are...