Misiwe Maphumulo & Sarah Heneck A WIEGO-led COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy survey was conducted in 12 cities worldwide, with the aim of assessing the impact of the pandemic on informal workers. Asiye eTafuleni (AeT) surveyed 185 informal workers across three sectors in Durban, namely, waste pickers, market traders and street traders. The COVID-19 pandemic … Read more
Erik Lønne In 2014, in partnership with WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing) and Practical Action, Asiye eTafuleni (AeT) played a central part in a research project exploring the role and impact of technology used by informal workers, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. The project, aptly named “Technology and the Future of Work”, … Read more
Emma Castaños & Teresa de Figueiredo (Feature image: Phumelele Mkhize) Smiling faces, cake, and sparkling juice greeted us at our first staff meeting. The Asiye eTafuleni (AeT) team had put together a small celebration; not for us, the newly arrived MIT group, but for the service of Lihle on her last day of work. Lihle … Read more
Tasmi Quazi This article is the second part of a reflection piece of our work in 2016 and after much deliberation, we selected 16 major events or projects to highlight, much of which is continuing into the present year. Part 1 covered organisation milestones such as new funding support, project achievements particularly those breaking new … Read more
Phumelele Mkhize & Tasmi Quazi The responsibility of designing and producing useful urban infrastructure in the city is assigned to professionals and governing authorities. What would it mean to let the users be shapers of their own spaces and infrastructure? During his internship with Asiye eTafuleni, Mongezi Ncube, investigated the self-built tables of traders (also … Read more
Tasmi Quazi On December 2015, Asiye eTafuleni (AeT) presented the findings of the participatory Infrastructure Audit conducted by a research team of largely trained informal workers (also referred to as traders), assisted by researchers and AeT staff earlier in the year. 23 informal worker representatives from 3 significant informal economy districts selected for the Kanyenathi … Read more
By Elise Selinger and Danya Sherman for Massachusetts Institute of Technology on 15 June 2015 How do informal traders, long denied equitable opportunities for resources, space, and infrastructure, take advantage of a growing tourist market without compromising their cultural heritage? What kind of institution can best support traders’ skills building and financial self-sufficiency, and how … Read more
Tasmi Quazi Kanyenathi, the Comic-Relief funded project of three years to be implemented across three informal economy districts in Durban, kicked off in October 2014 with a series of community meetings. From January till July 2015, a major project activity – which was the training for and implementation of the infrastructure audit – was completed. … Read more
Tasmi Quazi Kanyenathi meaning “with us” in isiZulu, is the Comic Relief funded project that is being implemented by Asiye eTafuleni across 3 years and 3 informal economy districts in Durban. It was kicked off in October 2014 with a series of community engagements (read more here). From March to July 2015 however, a major … Read more
