Is the informal economy a space for ‘waithood’ or a long-term livelihood strategy? Experiences of graduates in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Abstract Youth unemployment has been a significant challenge, particularly in countries of the Global South, where rapid growth in the youth population coincides with insufficient job creation. While many studies focus on less educated youth, we assert that graduate youth have not received adequate attention, especially regarding their participation in the informal economy. Although obtaining higher education may offer them a perceived advantage over their less educated peers, most struggle to find stable employment after graduation. Many find themselves in a state of ‘waithood’, unable to transition into full adulthood due to a lack of financial independence as they engage in 'hustling' for survival. This study examines how graduate youth in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, navigate the city’s expanding informal economy. Using ethnographic methods, the research explores the experiences of these graduates and their perceptions of informal work, investigating whether young graduates view informal employment and entrepreneurship as a temporary space of waithood or a long-term livelihood strategy amid ongoing economic and unemployment crises. The findings reveal a range of experiences and attitudes toward the informal sector. While some respondents perceive their involvement as permanent, others hope to obtain formal employment eventually, and some indicate that even if they secure ‘proper’ jobs, they will continue to engage in informal work. The study’s theoretical contribution lies in combining Bourdieu’s cultural capital theory and waithood to not only view graduate unemployment as a problem but to demonstrate the agency of young graduates when faced with socio-economic crisis. Although the study foregrounds youth unemployment, it also highlights how it ties into the informal economy.