The Resurgence of Informal Business in the Municipality of Maputo City: The Informal Market Case of Xiquelene (2019-2023)

Abstract

The present work, entitled Recrudescimento do negócio informal no Município da Cidade de Maputo, had as its case study the Mercado Informal de Xiquelene (2019-2023), the general objective being to analyse the recrudescence of informal business in the Mercado Informal de Xiquelene. This is a descriptive study with a qualitative and quantitative approach. It sought to highlight the socio-economic impact of the families that practise informal business. The research constituted a survey of data at the research site, to assess the upsurge in informal business over the last five years because nowadays, setting up a business is not difficult. Meanwhile, the research sought to analyse the political and economic reforms that characterised the 1980s and 1990s in Maputo City and which contributed to the emergence of informal commerce, which at the time was called ‘dumbanengue’. The state's inability to promote formal employment for its citizens and the very dynamics of the market economy have led people to fight for their survival. This study aimed to answer questions related to informal business in Maputo City Municipality today, taking into account its resurgence. The size of the informal market researched influenced the choice of case study. The aim was to enlighten the reader about informal business remaining or gaining commercial space in the metropolitan area of Maputo City. The research concluded that the resurgence of informal business between 2019-2023 was due to the increase in the cost of living during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the economic indicators found in the vendors surveyed.