Investigating child labour market activities in South Africa

Abstract

The phenomenon of child labour is renowned around the world. Child labour infiltrates the labour market both knowingly and unknowingly. However, child labour is more prevalent in underdeveloped nations as impoverishment pressures parents/guardians to encourage their children to engage in the labour market to help their respective households meet their basic needs. Although child labour was prevalent throughout history, it is still evident today. Policymakers and the public have raised concerns over the lasting effects of children being exposed too early to the labour market. Some of the terms under which these children operate pose a threat to their health and well-being. Laws and Policies against child labour are implemented across the world, but the magnitude of children working in the labour market is deeply rooted and gigantic. As researchers tackle the task at hand, to measure the scope of child labour around the world, it becomes clearer that inconsistency in data collection arises as business owners hide crucial information about their employment of youth to protect themselves against legal confrontation to maintain their economic benefits in the labour market. This study investigated the extent of child labour activities in South Africa, with the aid of the 2010, 2015 and 2019 waves of the Survey of Activities of Young People (SAYP) data. The empirical outcomes showed that most of the child labour were African females with low levels of education. In terms of the age cohort, just below two-thirds of child labourers were within the 7-14 years age category, signalling unlawful employment in the labour market. Also, a major part of child labour resided in regions including KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. Furthermore, the findings revealed that if children came from households with a small proportion of adult members being employed, they were significantly more inclined to be involved in economic activities or work as child labour. On the contrary, the findings showed that for adults coming from households with a high number of children involved in economic activities or work as child labour, these adult members suffered greater unemployment probability.