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.
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Articles on informal sector
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Underpaying workers has become rampant in Australia.
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.
The informal economy is often perceived negatively, yet recent research from developing and emerging countries indicate that the preconceptions that surround it are myths.
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.
Little is known about how many people transition between the informal and formal sectors, a phenomenon called "churning".
Graft is common in the way that markets in Kinshasa are run.
South African commercial law courses do not address the question of what norms and procedures govern business relations in indigenous African communities.
The extent to which mobile phones can support and sustain real improvement in young lives is depressingly finite unless significant interventions occur.
The plastic bag ban doesn't consider the impact it will have on Kenya's economy or consider other environmental alternatives.
Zimbabwe's students and graduates are angry. They have every reason to be. The country's finances are badly managed and its economy is in crisis.
There is a growing trend of designing modernised replicas of traditional buildings for entertainment and tourism. That’s no way to salvage positive lessons from building traditions.
Zimbabwe has experienced another wave of discontent, manifesting in protests by its citizenry. This may well herald a change in the idea of citizenship in the country.
Escalating clashes between herders and farmers in Nigeria threaten the country's national and food security. A response based on innovation, sustainability and political will is urgently needed.
The essence of Ubuntu can best be found in Africa's informal economies. They are not dependent on western shareholders or donations, and certainly not subject to western management education.
The informal economy in sub-Saharan Africa is largely marginalised despite its significant contribution to employment and GDP.
Nigeria has been among the fastest growing economies this past decade but only 25% of the country's population has benefited from this growth, leaving the majority trapped in the informal sector.
Top contributors
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Professor of Cross-cultural Management, Middlesex University
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Associate Professor UTS Centre for Business and Social Innovation, University of Technology Sydney
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Research Fellow, International Studies Group, University of the Free State
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Professor of management, Director of the Centre for Business and Social Innovation, University of Technology Sydney
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Associate professor, Rhodes University
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Professor and Chair of the Economics Department, Allegheny College
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Senior research fellow, University of Pretoria
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Departmental Lecturer in African History and Politics, University of Oxford
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Senior researcher at the African Centre for Cities, University of Cape Town
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Associate Professor, Economics, University of the Western Cape
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Professor of Law, University of Ottawa
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Senior Research Fellow, Durham University
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Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Design, University of Cape Town
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Senior Researcher: Poverty and Inequality Initiative, Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town
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Part-time lecturer and Director of the Africa Livelihood Innovations for Sustainable Environment Consulting Group, University of Nairobi
