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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Informal retailers that dot South Africa’s townships have changed dramatically, but at great cost - avoidance of regulation and exploitation of employees.
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.
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.
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.
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.