The Future of Work: Worker Organizing and Power in Africa's Informal Economy

Abstract

Across Africa, the structure of work and of labor markets are undergoing a profound transformation driven by a range of developments. These include the rapid digitalization of work, growing demand for care services, rising levels of labor migration, and the pressures of climate change which are propelling a transition across sectors. As a result, informal and non-standard forms of employment are increasingly common. Historically, trade unions played a central role in shielding workers from unsafe and underpaid conditions, but across much of the Global South their influence has declined, weakening worker representation and protection. In response, new worker organizations are emerging outside the bounds of traditional unions to fill this gap, developing new forms of collective power and solidarity. In addition, unions and worker groups are increasingly advocating for reforms that not only seek protection for their members but also influence policies toward a more equitable future. The Future of Work: Worker Organizing and Power in Africa’s Informal Economy Study seeks to explore and document how worker organizing and labor power-building are evolving in response to major shifts in the structure of work throughout the continent. The study focuses on five countries: Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa, to explore the central question: How are new worker groups organizing—attracting, recruiting, and mobilizing—outside the traditional labor movement in response to Africa’s changing work landscape? These findings inform the recommendations to strengthen collective action and policy engagement for meaningful worker power and wellbeing.