Informal Worker Access to Formal Social Protection in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Kenya and Tanzania

Based on a combination of detailed survey data and in-depth interviews with informal workers in the construction, micro-trade, and transport sectors in urban areas of Kenya and Tanzania, this article explores the extent to which informal worker associations facilitate member access to formal social insurance schemes. It provides unique insight into what characterizes informal workers, and the role played by their associations in ensuring social protection. The analysis shows that members of informal worker associations are significantly more likely to participate in formal insurance schemes compared with non-members, albeit with some variation across location, sector, and worker types. These divergences relate partly to sector-specific and institutional constellations, as well as the ways in which informal worker associations function. Moreover, the article shows that associations often play a dual role by providing both direct short-term social cushioning and enabling enrolment in formal social insurance schemes. Their part in ensuring the achievement of universal social protection must therefore not be underestimated.