Rising inequality is, at its core, a political and policy choice. This is the central message of the Global Justice Report authored by experts based at the World Inequality Lab, led by economists Thomas Piketty and Lucas Chancel. As economists and experts on labour, inequality and the informal economy, we believe there is a great…
Shoprite’s trading profit increased 8.4% to R16.2 billion, while gross profit rose 8.1% to R66.5 billion for the 52 weeks ended 28 June. Shoprite has expanded its push into South Africa’s informal economy and digital financial services after finalising the acquisition of an initial 51% stake in R&A Cellular. According to the retail group’s latest…
Nairobi — Transport organisations have announced the world’s first global conference dedicated to informal and shared mobility, bringing matatus, tuk-tuks, jeepneys and similar transport systems into the spotlight. The 1st Global Convening on Informal & Shared Mobility (GLOCON) will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from October 26 to 28, 2026, bringing together researchers, policymakers, transport…
Debby Lawson, founder and COO of Fastizers, speaking during launch of the company’s Nibit brand. One Saturday in 2010, Gbola Lawson was knocking on the doors of small brick-and-mortar stores in Lagos – Nigeria’s megacity of roughly seventeen million people – trying to persuade shopkeepers to place cookies on their shelves. Although he held a…
My father-in-law ran a shop in the village of Mpoza, Mount Frere. He is gone now. The shop is still there, still open, still serving Mpoza, because the community still needs it, and so it continues. When CK Prahalad wrote that the world’s poorest people are not a problem to be managed but a market…
Informal apprenticeships remain Africa’s largest skills development system, providing training opportunities to millions of young people and workers who would otherwise lack access to formal training. This was one of the highlights at the third annual regional conference of the Sub-Saharan Africa Skills and Apprenticeship Stakeholders Network held in Abuja, Nigeria, last week. The Ministry…
Rory Bosman, executive for sales and marketing at Ecentric Payment Systems. The South African informal economy is surrounded by estimates. The economy itself is estimated to be worth around R900 billion, with spaza shops sitting at the heart of this thriving retail sector. The estimated 150 000 spaza shops operating around the country are contributing…
There is a story South Africa has been telling itself about the digital divide, and it is only half true. The dominant narrative frames the problem as one of connectivity: lay the fibre, lower data prices, extend mobile coverage, and the informal economy will follow. It is a tidy story, and not entirely wrong. However,…
Local officials say the death toll could rise as seven people are missing following the attack on New Year’s Eve. Published On 1 Jan 20261 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share At least three people have been killed and seven remain missing following an attack on an informal mine in…
Annelene Dippenaar Fintech companies have taken a boots-on-the-ground approach to providing fit-for-purpose financial services in township and rural economies – and that’s helping them outpace the banks and drive digital adoption at higher rates. This is according to Annelene Dippenaar, legal, risk and compliance officer at Shop2Shop, who told TechCentral in an interview that fintechs…
