Rituals, rites and rumours: how women claim power in Zimbabwe’s informal gold mines: In Zimbabwe they say, Hanzi bhande rinonzvenga vakadzi vakapinda mumigoghi (The gold belt will disappear if women go into the underground mine). Many men on artisanal or small-scale gold mining sites are uncomfortable working with women in their syndicates because of this …
Informal mining in South Africa is here to stay. Police brutality won’t end it – here’s what will: In mid-January 2024 over 1,000 hunger-weakened miners exited two abandoned mine shafts in Stilfontein, near Johannesburg in South Africa. They had been starved out by the police in Operation Vala Umgodi — meaning “plug the hole” – …
Ghana’s informal settlements are not all the same – social networks make a difference in community development: Informal settlements in Africa are diverse. Across regions and even in the same city, socioeconomic and physical conditions vary. One thing is common though: upgrading them is a challenge. Among the challenges are issues of including people, having …
Why do identical informal businesses set up side by side? It’s a survival tactic – Kenya study: The population on the African continent will have nearly doubled by 2050, according to UN projections. About 800 million more young Africans will enter the job market by then. Combine this forecast with the high youth unemployment rate …
South African tourism: informal traders need support, not more red tape: South Africa is an attractive tourist destination for foreign travellers on the African continent. It ranks 27th out of 128 countries in the world when it comes to visitor arrivals. Its top attractions are its wildlife and immersive cultural experiences, where tourists engage with …
Food safety policy neglects informal markets in developing countries – 3 ways this can change: The informal sector poses great challenges for food safety. Steven Jaffee The food industry in many low- and middle-income countries is dominated by the informal sector. Numerous micro and small businesses, which are not legally registered and mostly compete on …
Ghana’s informal mining harms health and the land – but reforms must work with people, not against them: Poverty is prevalent in most gold mining communities in Ghana. Wikimedia Commons Artisanal small-scale mining has been practised in Ghana for over a century. In 2018, small-scale miners generated 2.1 million ounces of gold, accounting for 43.1% …
Accra’s market fires are devastating to informal traders – but they don’t trust or understand what they’re being told about managing risk: Market fires cause significant upheavals in the heavily informal Ghanaian economy Wikimedia Commons Ghana’s informal urban markets play a key role in the country’s economy. They employ more than 80% of the people …
How ‘clap for our carers’ made some informal caregivers feel undervalued and unseen: Almost three years into the pandemic, the UK’s 10.6 million informal carers face an uphill struggle. If the cost of living crisis is a concern for everyone, for those providing some level of primary care for a family member or friend it …
Education in Kenya’s informal settlements can work better if parents get involved — here’s how: Anthony Asael/Art in All of Us via Getty Images Education is a public good. All children should have access to education as a human right, irrespective of their gender, socioeconomic or disability status. This is reinforced and validated by countries’ …
Ghana’s informal residents show how social innovation can solve urban challenges: A lot of Ghanaian settlements face social infrastructure deficits Wikimedia Commons Local governments across the world have turned to what is called “urban innovation” in a bid to manage urban problems. The term refers to the use of smart data collection, digital infrastructure facilities …
Johannesburg’s informal traders face abuse: the city’s ‘world class’ aspirations create hostility towards them: Street vendors ply their trade in Johannesburg. EPA-EFE/Kim Lubrook Unemployment and the rising cost of living force many people to make a living in the informal economy, particularly street trading. While it is difficult to measure the size of the informal …
Zimbabwe’s informal sector plays a key role in skills development but gets no recognition: People trained in the informal sector are equally skilled or better than those who attended formal training ALEXANDER JOE/AFP via Getty Images The informal sector plays an important role in the development of skills among Zimbabwe’s disadvantaged groups, and should be …
Yes, Africa’s informal sector has problems, but the answer isn’t to marginalise it: Informal workers are a key part of African economies Wikimedia Commons African leaders are increasingly aspiring to “modernise” their cities. That is to make them “globally competitive” and “smart”. The hope is to strategically position cities in Africa to drive the continent’s …
Heat and health: Dar es Salaam’s informal settlements need help: Tanzania, Dar es Salaam: increasing temperatures under climate change are likely to be a significant risk to human health in informal settlements. Flickr/Slum Dwellers International In the coming decades, heat will become one of the most significant and visible impacts of climate change, particularly in …
Insights from Zimbabwe on how to link formal and informal economies: A Zimbabwean broom vender pushes his bike on the streets of Chitungwiza outside Harare. ALEXANDER JOE/AFP via Getty Images In 2003, Thabo Mbeki – then president of South Africa – described South Africa’s economy as being like a two-storey house. The top floor was …
How informal sector organisations in Zimbabwe shape notions of citizenship: Vincent Nhidza, right, and colleague Mathew Simango, arrange coffins at a street workshop in Harare, Zimbabwe. EPA-EFE/Aaron Ufumeli Since the late 1990s, as companies in Zimbabwe have shut down and laid off workers due to the country’s economic crisis, people have resorted to the informal …
Local knowledge adds value to mapping flood risk in South Africa’s informal settlements: A man is seen searching through debris at the Blue Lagoon beach following heavy rains and winds in Durban, on April 12, 2022. Rajesh Jantilal/AFP via Getty Images The current flooding in South Africa’s coastal city of Durban is dire and reports …