The development of the informal economy as a livelihood strategy amongst resident students at Howard College campus.

Abstract

The marginalization of black people from the formal economy has led them to the informal economy. This is due to the country’s macroeconomic policies which have made the country’s economy develop unevenly. The uneven development draws black people who lack skills and are unable to find employment, to engage in informal economic activities. Engaging in informal economic activities enables those marginalised by the formal economy to generate a livelihood from the informal economy. As a result, parents and guardians of the youth struggle to pay tertiary fees and provide a sustainable livelihood for their sons and daughters. In turn, these sons and daughters begin to engage in informal economic activities by selling goods and providing services to other students in their rooms at residence. The selling of goods and providing services is a means to generate a livelihood in order to survive at tertiary, subsequently students become businessmen and businesswomen who own their own small businesses irrespective of the scale of the business. From the government’s perspective, there have been many initiatives, strategies and frameworks to promote small businesses and youth entrepreneurship amongst the youth. However, the policies, strategies and frameworks do not cater for students engaging in these survivalist-enterprise activities of the informal economy as students look to generate a livelihood.