Abstract
M.A. (Industrial Sociology)
Like other parts of the world, South Africa has been seriously affected by the economic recession that has brought unemployment and poverty to large numbers of people in many regions of the world. The districts of Zwide and Kwazakhele are parts of Nelson Mandela Bay, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Working-class households in these areas suffer extreme hardship as a result of poor socioeconomic conditions. They are excluded from participation in the mainstream economy and have no sustainable means of supporting themselves or their families.
By forming buying clubs and savings, these communities try to alleviate their hardship. in investigating these clubs, this study raises the possibility that these community initiatives could indicate the beginnings of a solidarity economy and the possibility of creating a more just and inclusive society in an environment characterised by unemployment, hunger and poverty. The solidarity economy movement embraces co-operative work as an alternative to the current neoliberal ordering of society.
The research offers insights into the lives of nineteen women and one man, residents of the two marginalised communities, and their agency in alleviating poverty and bringing about change in their lives by the implementation of a buying club and a savings club. . Observation and semi-structured interviews are used to collect this data. It also provides unique narratives about the multiple strategies the women employ so that their families survive.