The labours of new large-scale infrastructure projects in urban Africa

Large-scale infrastructure projects in urban Africa are on the rise.

Many of these projects are funded by China and the fast pace of construction makes them constitutive of what has been termed ‘fast urbanism’. Yet, their realisation will shape city life for decades to come. Previous studies have analysed the political and economic drivers, qualities and consequences of these projects.

However, few studies have analysed the lives, experiences and imaginations of ordinary people labouring in and around the construction sites of new infrastructure projects.

This knowledge gap is problematic since the situation of ordinary workers is vital for local livelihoods as well as the production and maintenance of new infrastructures.

This project aims to analyse how Chinese-funded large-scale infrastructure projects in urban Africa shape local livelihood opportunities and the daily practices and experiences of infrastructure workers, and how these opportunities and practices change over time.

The project analyses the situation of labourers working on, or in the vicinity of, Chinese-funded infrastructure projects in Accra (Ghana), Maputo (Mozambique), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and Lusaka (Zambia).

It involves four researchers, runs for three years, and applies qualitative methods; semi-structured interviews, observations and text analysis.

The project will provide a better scientific understanding of the work behind large-scale infrastructures, useful for formulating decent work policies.