Vendors were out in force in Nelson Mandela Bay on Wednesday, turning election-day queues into a business opportunity as they vied to win over hungry, thirsty and heat-weary voters.
Residents in Lorraine and Charlo were treated to coffee stands to keep the cravings at bay and ice cream to ward off the sweltering sun and keep the children happy
At the Lorraine Riding Club, City Coffee owner Joseph Tewu had set up his stall well before the first cohort of voters arrived.
Tewu said he regularly set up for events at the club and opted to make the most of the opportunity on Wednesday.
"Business has been good and we have been busy since the first voter arrived," he said.
"We will be here until closing or when we sell out, but it is very nice to see so many people turning up to vote and I hope this place stays this busy throughout the day."
Cones and Cups Soft Serve Ice-cream owner Will Lawson, who also set up at the voting station, said a steady stream of patrons was keeping him busy during the morning rush.
"It has been going well and with the day getting hotter with each hour, I do expect a lot more people to purchase ice cream," he said.
"I knew there would be people and where there is ice cream and people there is happiness.
"[The last election] was not so good as it was raining but today we are looking good."
At the Walmer West Primary school voting station off the William Moffett Expressway, Kurt Bruinders rolled in with his aptly named food truck, Kurt's Kitchen, to give voters a variety of options throughout the day.
"Previously, when I was standing in the queue for voting I often thought to myself it would a nice opportunity, but also just as a member of the public just to have something to eat or have a coffee makes all the difference when you are waiting for a while.
"This is our first time doing this at the elections and we have quite a broad menu with things like chicken nuggets, chips, samoosas and so on for the morning and then this afternoon we will have beef and butter chicken curry."
Other people used the opportunity to raise funds for their causes and organisations, such as the members of NG Nooitgedacht Church, which is next door to the voting station at Kabega Park Primary.
Mariska Claassen, who was manning the main tent on the church grounds, said they had sold out of breakfast buns, pancakes, wors rolls, cooldrinks and jaffles by about 9.30am after opening at 8am.
"We knew this would be a good opportunity for us as people walk past [as many walk through the church premises to the voting station].
"This is our first but going forward we will definitely be doing it again.
"It worked out well with it being a sort of walk-through and people this morning kept on referring to what a good idea it is," she said.
Hoërskool Despatch used the elections as an opportunity to raise funds for the school by selling tasty food.
Principal Christiaan Ferreira said: "We're selling boerewors rolls and pancakes and drinks for the people that came out to vote.
"It also somehow turned into us doing our bit for the community. In the morning it was quite busy ... the lines were long, but it's calmed down now.
"We don't have a target but have just under 200 boerewors [rolls] but if we run out, we've got a contingency plan and we'll run to the butchery.
"This is our first time doing this. We took a chance and asked if it was possible and here we are," Ferreira said.
Another vendor, Thanduxolo Sixhaka, 56, who was selling Smiley (sheep heads and feet) opposite the Veeplaas Community Hall voting station, thanked voters for supporting his business.
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