Xenophobic attacks on informal traders in Durban not an isolated incident
Xenophobia continues to rear its ugly head without check from the authorities.
Informal economy workers
Slow recovery of the informal economy still costing many livelihoods
The informal economy workers are one of the group of workers who are bearing the brunt of the pandemic as some have lost their livelihoods.
Zimbabwe informal workers cry foul over new lockdown restrictions
Informal economy workers in Zimbabwe say the government imposed the lockdown without making sure they would have means to survive.
In Tunisia, Black Africans face “the harshest exploitation”
Jérémie*, an Ivorian in his early thirties who arrived in Tunisia in early 2016, is reluctant to speak out. He says he suffered reprisals after […]
How waste pickers in the global South are being sidelined by new policies
The world is producing more and more waste, with serious health and environmental consequences. In urban areas, domestic waste is accumulating fast and landfills fill […]
South Africa’s spaza shops: how regulatory avoidance harms informal workers
Small informal retailers are a ubiquitous feature of any developing country’s urban landscape. Known as spaza shops in South Africa, they are an important, even […]
Station vendors suffering due to railway suspension
Vendors that trade at central line stations say that the suspension of the railway service has negatively affected them.
South Africa’s clandestine miners defend their work (and want it to be legal)
Protected from the rain and the sun by plastic sheets tied to sticks, dozens of muscle-bound youngsters apply their strength to making heavy metal cylinders […]
Informal economies are diverse: South African policies need to recognise this
South Africa is currently mulling over ideas and agreements that recently came out of a two-day jobs summit. The country is losing the battle against […]
Lifting the lid on the black box of informal trade in Africa
The share of internal trade in Africa remains low, as reflected by official statistics. This is despite numerous regional trade agreements that have led to […]
Foreign nationals in Port Elizabeth Central live in fear
In May 2008, xenophobic attacks swept through South Africa leaving 62 people dead and 21 of whom were South African citizens. Elitsha spoke to foreign nationals in Port Elizabeth Central to ask whether they feel safe or not.
The precarious status of domestic workers in Brazil
With almost 7.2 million domestic workers, Brazil has ratified the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 189, covering decent work for those carrying out domestic tasks in the home.
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