The Manchester Road: Women and the Informalization of Work in South Africa’s Footwear Industry

Abstract: The article discusses the informalization of work in the footwear industry of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa and its impact on the lives of women workers in two factories during 1990s. The footwear industry in Pietermaritzburg, known to be the shoe city, has decreased significantly during 1991 as well as the formal employment in the sector. Emergence of informal sector workers in manufacturing has followed the sudden decline of the formal sector which brings the growing informalization of production in the Manchester Road area. The racial segregation in the informal sector has brought a negative effect on the employer-employee relationship. Studies also show the prevalence of another extra shift for women working in Manchester Road.