Ganyu in Malawi: trends, past and contemporary update

Recent research shows that informal casual labour, locally called ganyu, is rapidly increasing in rural Malawi and is closely linked to urbanisation. Understanding the trends in ganyu, its interaction with other livelihood activities like smallholder farming, and its relationship with rising urbanisation is critical for effective policymaking in a context marked by high poverty, underemployment, fast population growth and subsistence farming with decreasing farm sizes. However, up to date data on ganyu comes mainly from labour surveys, which are shown to be inadequate to capture informal labour, offering thus a limited and partial picture of its nature and dynamics. While older qualitative studies provide valuable insights, they are often outdated and fail to capture the evolving realities of ganyu. This paper addresses these gaps by documenting current trends in ganyu, exploring its origins, and examining how its moral and social dimensions have evolved over time. Drawing on our own in-depth, field-collected data, we provide detailed descriptions of ganyu, including the types of tasks performed, payment structures, demographic participation, seasonal variations, and its broader social significance in contemporary Malawi. Compared to previous studies, our research recognizes that ganyu encompasses both agricultural and non-agricultural work, and pays special attention to its relationship with urbanisation. This study makes several key contributions. First, it highlights the growing significance of ganyu as a livelihood strategy in Malawi, and it demonstrates its evolving social and economic nature. Second, it bridges qualitative and quantitative approaches, offering rich, contextual descriptions that enhance the interpretation and use of labour survey data. Third, it underscores the value of localized, qualitative insights in labour research. Finally, it identifies entry points for policymaking by providing a nuanced understanding of ganyu’s role in rural and urban economies.