Mobile phones have become integral to the success and sustainability of informal vendors’ livelihoods across sub-Saharan African contexts. However, little geographical research has explored how smartphone technologies and digital platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, shape the livelihood practices of young people in precarious and rapidly evolving urban environments.
Addressing this gap, Dr. Nathan Salvidge, Lecturer in Development Geography in the Department of Geography and Environmental Science, conducted research in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with 18 youth informal vendors operating online businesses. Over four weeks in January 2025, he used life-mapping interviews and participatory timeline diagrams to gain deeper insights into how smartphones and digital platforms are transforming informal work and shaping young people’s livelihood. Nathan worked alongside Timotheo G Kitembe from Open Mind Tanzania, who provided vital research assistance.
The research will provide a nuanced understanding of how young people navigate urban spaces, conduct informal work, and build their lives and livelihoods in uncertain environments. Once transcribed and analysed, the findings will be shared with local community groups, NGOs, and government stakeholders in Dar es Salaam to inform policies and practices that better support young informal workers.
“Young people are increasingly using smartphones and digital platforms to develop online informal businesses. Their interactions, practices, and goals are complex and diverse, influenced by a range of factors that require ongoing attention and support,” said Salvidge.