We’ll starve before we get sick!" Short- and long-term effects of the corona pandemic on informal workers in urban Africa.

The study aims to generate new knowledge about how the current global corona crisis impacts urban societies in Africa.

In particular the study explores the short and long term social, economic and political effects of corona-related interventions among informal workers, and how they respond and cope during and in the aftermath of the crisis. These will be analysed across two urban settings – Maputo and Lagos.

Research questions: What, and how, are governmental prevention strategies being deployed in the context of the pandemic threat, and what are the impacts on informal workers? What are the short- and longer-term effects of governmental prevention strategies on the lives of informal workers?

How do street and market vendors respond to, cope with and recover from prevention strategies during and after the corona crisis? How do effects and ability to cope vary according to gender and age?

The study will use qualitative methods: interviews with state officials; street and market vendors and their leaders; and analysis of media articles to gain an insight into local public debates. Two senior researchers will carry out the project. Time plan: Year 1: Literature studies and design of project implementation.

First period of data collection. Data analysis. Year 2: Second period of data collection. Data analysis and writing. Year 3: Last period of data collection, data analysis, writing up.