Waste reclaimers save South African municipalities up to R748 million a year in landfill space. Without them, the country’s recycling economy would not exist.
Lagos must rethink its waste management policy.
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The continued entrapment of African countries in the global circuit of capital and its proclivity to large scale accumulation imperils the ability of many to cope with the pandemic.
A policeman stands guard during a protest by minibus taxi operators against a new bus service for Johannnesburg.
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It is vital that the latest move by government towards restructuring succeeds in making the industry safe, reliable and viable, contributing to the country’s economy.
Unlike other countries, South Africa’s informal sector provides no cushion to workers in time of crisis.
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It will take a long time for the full economic impact of COVID-19 to be known, but a careful scrutiny of labour market outcomes over the next couple of months will shed some light.
Kenyan miners have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic
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Many informal workers will not be able to take the precautions that health authorities suggest.
South Africa’s Alexandra township in the foreground, where the majority live in squalor, and Sandton in the background, representing the most privileged
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Most consumers in South Africa aren’t able to fill up a trolley of groceries for their daily needs, let alone join the panic buying induced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
South African corporates ignore exploitative business practices to get their products onto spaza shelves.
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Informal retailers that dot South Africa’s townships have changed dramatically, but at great cost - avoidance of regulation and exploitation of employees.
Chilean police clash with anti-government demonstrators during a protest in Santiago, Chile, Nov. 12, 2019. Santiago is one of a dozen cities worldwide to see mass unrest in recent months.
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The informal sector represents an opportunity to improve the lives of a large part of the workforce. Government should desist from harming livelihoods and broaden the scope of policy measures.
Australia’s Fairwork Ombudsman found wage theft in 45% of its audits In food services.
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The Otigba Computer Village shows how businesses in a largely informal market identify new and useful knowledge, apply it innovatively to scale up their operations and increase profits.
A street vendor in Hanoi, Vietnam. Rather than being “helpless and hopeless”, many informal workers are self-reliant and ambitious.
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Cecilia Poggi, Agence française de développement (AFD); Anda David, Agence française de développement (AFD), and Claire Zanuso, Agence française de développement (AFD)
The informal economy is often perceived negatively, yet recent research from developing and emerging countries indicate that the preconceptions that surround it are myths.
The port of Mombasa in Kenya, which was the first country, with Ghana, to ratify the African Continental Free Trade Agreement in 2018.
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Frank Mattheis, University of Pretoria and Ueli Staeger, Graduate Institute – Institut de hautes études internationales et du développement (IHEID)
Africa’s new continental free trade area, the AfCFTA, is a remarkable achievement. However, decisive diplomatic, technical and social action is needed for it to succeed.
Understanding how people move through job sectors is crucial.
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