Linking Harare and Johannesburg through Informal Cross-Border Entrepreneurship

Abstract

Zimbabwe has witnessed a rapid expansion of informal cross border trading (ICBT) with neighbouring countries over the past two and a half decades. That expansion has largely been due to a persistent decline in the economy since the introduction of the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP) in the 1990s, which led to the closure of many industries, increased unemployment and forced many people into the informal sector. This 2014 study sought to provide a current picture of ICBT in Zimbabwe by interviewing 514 informal entrepreneurs involved in ICBT between Harare (Zimbabwe) and Johannesburg (South Africa). The sample profile revealed that ICBT in Zimbabwe is dominated by females and young adults and that traders are fairly educated. The study results demonstrate the important role played by ICBT in the survival of households in the country.

Keywords

• Cross-border traders
• Informal economy
• International trade
• Harare
• Johannesburg