Abstract
Despite the large body of scholarly research
that has addressed the various challenges
encountered by female domestic workers,
there exists a notable gap in understanding the
experiences of male domestic workers in South
Africa. The present study seeks to bridge this gap by
exploring the experiences of ten black African migrant
male domestic workers in Johannesburg. Drawing
upon Katz’s framework of disaggregated agency,
encompassing resilience, reworking, and resistance
strategies, the study demonstrates that in the absence
of collective resistance through unionisation, male
domestic workers employ resilience and reworking
strategies to improve their material well-being.
Decision-making processes regarding migration to
South Africa, engaging in job-hopping, and engaging
in multiple piece jobs are examples of the resilience
and reworking strategies used by male domestic
workers to improve their living conditions. This study
shows that paid domestic work in South Africa,
whether performed by men or women, is not without
challenges, but that male domestic workers exhibit
agency by utilising various strategies to navigate and
mitigate some of these challenges.