Abstract
Globally, migrants face numerous socio-economic and institutional impediments that hinder
their participation in the labour market of host cities and/or countries. This motivates them to
join the informal economic sector to make a living. Applying the concept of tactical
cosmopolitanism to understand the social and economic agency of African migrants, this
article reports on an explorative analysis of the experiences of informal African migrant street
traders (African migrant traders) operating in Johannesburg inner city, Gauteng, South
Africa. The study revealed that African migrant traders left their countries of origin to secure
better opportunities and to escape hostile conditions in their home countries. Despite the host
city turning out to be more hostile and xenophobic, making life and finding formal
employment opportunities more challenging, the thought of the more difficult life conditions
in their home countries has led them to trading on the streets...