One would think that a business would proudly display its name in big letters at the entrance. It is, after all, the identity and trusted name of the business that lure customers back.

In Louis Trichardt's CBD this does not seem to be the case and several stores do business under a guise of anonymity. Passers-by do not immediately see what these stores sell and this also raises suspicion about the quality of products and the level of consumer protection available.

When asked to investigate, Limpopo Mirror's reporter found at least five shops without name signs situated in Songozwi Street, which is one of the major streets in the town. The Miriam Centre hosts two of these shops. One clothing store, Power Sales in Kruger Street, closed down way back in 1998 and a handful of businesspeople have since used the premises with all the wall signs still proclaiming the former business's name.

One worried reader said this situation affects the credibility of the town's business community. "Your town or village is like a human being," says Rita  Maluleke, who comes to town every month-end to buy goods for her spaza shop. "A town has a life of its own, which needs to be taken good care of."

However, in the case of  'Power Sales', the unknowing client could be totally misled. "My friend went to buy meat from a shop which advertised such goods on its front windows, but she was disappointed when they told her she could get clothes instead," one lady said. "Our precious time is wasted by shop owners who mislead customers."

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Makhado Municipality, Louis Bobodi, agreed that the issue of nameless businesses was serious. "We were not aware of this," he said when first contacted in November last year. "We will investigate the matter and see what can be done to preserve the true beauty of the town."

Three months later, it seems that nothing has been done by the municipality to address the issue. This week, follow-ups were made with Bobodi, but he kept on postponing calls from the Limpopo Mirror, saying that he was busy on other municipal assignments.