Informal Economic and Social Security in Sub‐Saharan Africa

Abstract

Most people think that there is no social security in sub‐Saharan Africa, whereas a theoretical statutory social security is foreseen in quite a few African States. Since the 1960s, the first formal social security provision in French‐speaking sub‐Saharan Africa was established mainly in the field of health services. Nevertheless, the situation is different in reality. The coverage rate is less than 10 per cent of the workforce. The majority of the population are excluded because they work in the informal sector. Formal social security systems are usually based on a labour‐centred view, which is founded on formal employment and thus employment contracts. Legal restrictions, such as the exclusion of several categories of employees, and administrative and financial problems are primarily responsible for the low coverage rate. This situation has induced informal sector workers to create their own “safety nets”. The integration of these existing informal social security schemes in a broader, pluralist approach to sub‐Saharan social security seems necessary.