Urban youth and the poverty trap: A case of youth informal entrepreneurship in Marondera

Abstract

Youth engagements in semi-skilled and informal activities is emerging as the normal method of earning a living these days . This is particularly understandable given the context of acute economic challenges bedeviling many African countries in general and Zimbabwe in particular. With unemployment figures hovering above 90 percent for the 18-35 years age group, there is therefore real need to look beyond the formal sector for employment. For the youth in urban areas, it is imperative that they have to find some plausible income generating activity that will support them financially. This qualitative study looks at the experiences of youth in Marondera and it evaluates the adequacy and relevancy of their informal engagements through semi-structured qualitative interviews. The respondents expressed mixed feelings on the potential of informal entrepreneurship in urban areas. This study concludes that urban informal sector ventures in Marondera have greatly improved livelihood outcomes of the youth. Therefore, it is recommended that, there is need to improve the capacity of the youth as well as their projects in a bid to increase project viability and youth financial independence.