A perilous dance with survival: the youth hustle economy in Malawi

Abstract

Formidable socioeconomic adversities propel many young Africans into the informal sector, hustling legally or otherwise to support themselves, their loved ones, and their communities, often risking their lives in the process. Building on interviews conducted as part of The Imprint of Education (TIE) project, Sabelo Mpisi examines the lives of young disenfranchised motorcycle taxi drivers in Malawi, who go to great and dangerous lengths to make a living.