Abstract
This paper examines the structural disconnect between economic growth and decent work outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite sustained periods of GDP expansion, employment growth has remained insufficient and largely concentrated in informal and vulnerable sectors. Using employment elasticity analysis, macro-labour linkages, and qualitative assessment of labour market dynamics, the study identifies persistent decent work deficits, including high informality, youth unemployment, working poverty, and the rapid emergence of platform-based gig work. The findings demonstrate that Africa’s growth model has been capital-intensive and weakly employment-generating. The rise of the digital platform economy introduces both opportunities and risks, potentially reproducing informal labour relations in technologically mediated forms. The paper argues for a recalibration of growth strategies toward labour-absorbing structural transformation, strengthened social protection systems, and regulatory frameworks that extend decent work standards to platform labour. The analysis calls for integrated macro-labour policy frameworks that align economic expansion with employment intensity, social protection coverage, and inclusive development.

The ITUC-Africa Advocacy Toolkit is a comprehensive and practical resource designed to help trade unions, worker organisations, policymakers, and advocacy groups improve workplace safety across Africa. It provides guidance on identifying workplace hazards, engaging in policy reforms, and implementing OHS best practices at national, sectoral, and workplace levels.

African trade unions have evolved from an early focus on working conditions and workplace issues to addressing colonial racism and oppression and then joining forces with anti-colonial and national liberation struggles. They have pursued the democratization of their polities and are now actively engaged in addressing political-economic policy issues, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). This journey has also marked the changing structures and features of trade unions in Africa, enabling them to grow and adapt to the evolving needs of the workplace and the ongoing challenges facing African people in their pursuit of development and progress.

Africa faces a mounting social and economic crisis, shaped by global
shocks, weak job creation, and rising debt. By 2025, governments owe
over $2.1 trillion, and in many cases debt service consumes more than
40% of revenues, leaving little for schools, health systems, or jobcreating
infrastructure. Meanwhile, 8–11 million young Africans enter
the labour market each year, but only about 3 million formal jobs are
created. This mismatch, combined with chronic informality, skills
gaps, and climate vulnerability, risks undermining Africa’s
demographic dividend.
Yet opportunities exist. The African Continental Free Trade Area
(AfCFTA), green industrialisation, and investment in skills and social
protection could transform growth into decent work. Trade unions
emphasise that these strategies must be pro-worker, with enforceable
labour standards and inclusion of youth and women at the centre.
Unions therefore urge the G20 to: set ambitious job-creation targets;
invest in climate-friendly, labour-intensive sectors; strengthen labour
rights and universal social protection; embed labour standards in
trade agreements; expand youth employment through training and
fair wages; promote migration and mobility rights; cancel illegitimate
debt and curb illicit flows; ensure climate finance creates jobs; and
affirm African agency in global governance. Expansionary fiscal space
must be treated not as charity, but as investment in development
justice and inclusive prosperity.

Towards a New fFramework ofr Debt Sustainability and Development in Africa

Executive summary: As workplaces continue to evolve with technological advancements and economic shifts, understanding the multifaceted nature of safety, compliance, and the well-being of workers has become imperative. Unfortunately, many African countries continue to face significant challenges in occupational safety and health (OSH). These challenges are multifaceted, encompassing legal, infrastructural, economic, and cultural dimensions; and they vary considerably across different sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, construction, extractives, and manufacturing. Given these challenges, research on OSH in Africa is essential. Such research provides a comprehensive evidence base to inform policy and legislative changes. Without accurate data on the prevalence and causes of occupational injuries and diseases, it is challenging to develop effective interventions.

Background and Justification
Informal Cross-Border Trade (ICBT) is integral to intra-African trade, accounting for approximately 30-40% of trade flows in various African regions, significantly sustaining livelihoods, especially among women and youth (Bouet et al., 2018; UNCTAD, 2019). Women represent about 70% of informal traders across Africa, engaging predominantly in trade in agricultural products, textiles, and manufactured goods (Brenton & Soprano, 2018). Youth, constituting about 60% of the continent’s unemployed population, heavily depend on informal trading as an accessible economic entry point (AfDB, 2020). Despite their critical role, informal traders, particularly women and youth, are disproportionately affected by socio-economic barriers including limited access to finance, lack of secure trading spaces, cumbersome border procedures, harassment, and inadequate awareness of trade regulations (Koroma et al., 2017).The operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers a transformative opportunity to formally integrate informal trade sectors, addressing systemic inequalities and promoting inclusive economic development. Significantly, the recently introduced AfCFTA Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade aims to specifically address these inequalities by providing targeted support and creating conducive policy environments. By focusing on the specific challenges and opportunities faced by women and youth in ICBT, the AfCFTA, through its dedicated protocol, can significantly contribute to broader social and economic empowerment. This research is conducted within the context of a SASK AfCFTA project titled “African Trade Unions’ agenda and Effective Participation in Trade and Investment Processes: Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA),” which aims to empower trade unions to effectively participate in AfCFTA processes.