19. Resilience Amid Uncertainty: COVID-19 Pandemic, the Urban Informal Sector, and Livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa

The contribution of the urban informal sector (UIS) to national economies and local livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa cannot be overstated. Unfortunately, this sector is vulnerable to political, economic, social, and environmental uncertainties such as those presented by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. For example, government-instituted containment and mitigation measures employed to curb the initial spread of COVID-19 threatened the very existence of the UIS. Whether it was the mandatory lockdowns, closure of schools and businesses, stay-in-place orders, social distancing guidelines, or the closure of national borders, the sector appeared destined for collapse. However, despite the lack of social protections and direct financial support from the government, the UIS demonstrated an unlikely resilience. This study examines the relative resilience of the UIS in the face of COVID-19-imposed lockdowns in the first 2 years of the global pandemic. A survey of literature is followed by analysis of published material, media content, Internet sources, government reports, and other official and nonofficial government sources. Study findings show that the flexible nature of operation and activities involved in the USI, its community orientation and deep social networks, and the low capital outlay required to restart – all made reentry into the sector relatively manageable.