Implementing ILO R204 on the Transition from the Informal to the Formal Economy: Lessons from South Africa’s Experience

The responsibility for implementation of the International Labour Organization’s Recommendation 204 concerning the Transition from the Informal to the Formal Economy rests primarily on member states – ideally with proactive support from employers’ and workers’ organizations, including representatives of membership-based organizations (MBOs) of workers and economic units in the informal economy.

South Africa’s story of R204 implementation is one of multiple players and changing strategies, of progress one day and regression the next, of government officials reluctant to try new approaches, and of the persistence and determination of workers in informal employment. This Technical Brief offers lessons for other countries from South Africa's experience.