Opportunities and challenges faced by women involved in informal cross-border trade in the city of Mutare during a prolonged economic crisis in Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT

This paper assessed the opportunities and challenges faced by women involved in informal cross-border trade (ICBT) in Mutare during a prolonged economic crisis in Zimbabwe. Sixteen women informal cross-border traders were interviewed in depth while two cross-border bus drivers and two customs officials provided key information, which was categorized and discussed along emerging themes. The women were mainly middle-aged single parents who engaged in ICBT for survival. On average, they were educated but forced into ICBT by economic hardships and lack of jobs associated with the closure of industries that started in the late 1990s. Deindustrialization, however, created opportunity for the women to obtain Zimbabwean passports and import clothes, blankets, electrical gadgets and vehicle spare parts from South Africa (SA). Hence, a delay in obtaining the passport which costs US$51 and issued within six months was the women’s first challenge. Desperate to save meager incomes as most Zimbabweans resorted to ICBT, most of them slept in the open while in SA. Local authorities harassed them searching and confiscating undeclared goods. The women’s children suffered as they missed their mothers’ attention, control and love. Instead of helping the women’s businesses flourish, government proposed banning imports to revive Zimbabwe’s industrial sector.

KEYWORDS:

• Cross-border trade
• women
• economic crisis
• informal economy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Caroline Manjokoto is based at the Manicaland Regional Campus at Zimbabwe Open University and has a research interest in development studies and women’s empowerment.

Dick Ranga is an International development expert with experience in researching, lecturing and applying knowledge on the impact of population, migration, gender, poverty and inequality on development. I have proven knowledge of labour migration, population and development, HIV/AIDS and reproductive health as well as poverty, inequality and development.