In collaboration with Brink, local Kenyan research partners, and informal economy workers, we are discovering more about the informal economy in Kenya and will be making collective recommendations for its future.
Picture this stark reality – across the African continent, nearly 280 million people are navigating the daily rhythm of life without enough food. A staggering 600 million still don’t have access to electricity, and hundreds of millions are without access to basic necessities. Approximately a third of the continent’s 420 million youth are unemployed, and women are less likely to be in work than men.
Africa’s formal economies are struggling to create the opportunities that are needed to help alleviate poverty levels. What’s more, they are also struggling to respond to people’s ambitions and energy to create a better future for themselves.
So what is the alternative? The vibrant informal sector is driven by energetic, entrepreneurial, yet mostly invisible people doing and dreaming big things! The informal business sector, it is argued, is the next frontier in Africa and is a major source of employment across the continent – yet it has not quite reached its full potential.
It plays a major role in supporting the livelihoods of up to 85% of sub-Saharan Africans and does so with very little support. The urban informal economy in particular is identified as an important contributor to poverty alleviation and is expected to continue playing a pivotal role for the foreseeable future.
Our research partner, Brink, alongside local Kenyan research partners Laterite, ProCol Africa, and Busara, have been examining the informal economy in Kenya with a particular focus on women and youth – read more about the context of this research and approach.
