Migrant youth in Durban's barbershop industry challenge informal economy stereotypes through conviviality

Abstract

Conviviality, a term denoting ‘enjoyment, friendliness, liveliness’ is a description appearing in contrast to the realities of many migrants seeking out livelihoods in sometimes harsh, hostile, and insecure economic environments. Using data from a qualitative ethnographic study in Umlazi near Durban, South Africa, with migrant men from Burundi, this paper shows how social practices employed by these young barbers enable access to capitals, enabling and enhancing innovative and sustainable livelihoods. They have found strategies to utilise everyday social encounters to contribute to the development of business knowledge and tactics that assist in the promotion and sustainability of their businesses. Through exploration of their narratives, we elucidate how they navigate the challenges of the informal economy through convivial practices that maintain their businesses, but also allow them to benefit from established networks and social relations, highlighting the relational nature of youth entrepreneurship. In sum, the findings illustrate the entrepreneurial actions of migrant youth within socially produced urban spaces as innovative and sustainable, highlighting new insights into the relationship between migrant youth entrepreneurship and upward mobility.