In the dusty streets of Soweto, South Africa, Mama Thandi rises before dawn. By 5 AM, she has prepared meals for her elderly mother, three children, and two grandchildren. By 6 AM, she boards the first of two taxis for her two-hour journey to care for another family’s children in Johannesburg’s affluent suburbs. Her story is not unique – it represents millions of women across Southern Africa who form the invisible backbone of our economies through care work.

The Care Crisis: Hidden Numbers, Real Lives

In Zimbabwe, women spend an average of 3-6 times more hours on unpaid care work than men. The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare this disparity, with women in Harare reporting up to 4 additional hours of daily care work during lockdowns. In Malawi, rural women spend up to 9 hours daily collecting water and firewood – essential but unrecognized care tasks that sustain households.

Who Cares? The Gendered Reality

The answer to “who cares?” in Southern Africa is overwhelmingly clear: women and girls. In Zambia, 71% of primary caregivers are women, with many girls dropping out of school to assist with care responsibilities. In Mozambique’s Gaza Province, grandmother-headed households have increased by 60% over the past decade, as they take on care for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS and migrant labor.

Who Pays? The False Economy of Unpaid Care

The stark reality is that nobody pays – at least not in monetary terms. While Southern Africa’s GDP calculations capture the value of exported minerals and agricultural products, they ignore the estimated $10.8 billion worth of unpaid care work performed annually in Zimbabwe alone. In South Africa, unpaid care work contributes an estimated 13% to GDP – none of it recognized in national accounts.

The Neoliberal Assault on Care

Structural adjustment programs have devastated public care infrastructure across the region. In Lesotho, healthcare budget cuts have forced community health workers – 89% of whom are women – to provide essential care services without proper compensation or support. Similar patterns emerge in Botswana, where privatization of care services has placed additional burdens on households, particularly in rural areas.

Professionalizing Care: A Path Forward

Some promising initiatives are emerging. South Africa’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) has created paid opportunities for community care workers, though challenges of low wages and precarious employment remain. In Namibia, the Ministry of Health and Social Services has begun a program to certify and employ community caregivers, providing them with monthly stipends and training.

State Responsibility and Regional Solutions

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Gender and Development recognizes care work, but implementation lags. We need:

1. Regional Care Policy Framework

• Mandatory care work provisions in national budgets
• Standardized training and certification for care workers
• Social protection for informal care workers

2. Infrastructure Investment

• Community care centers in rural areas
• Water infrastructure to reduce time spent on collection
• Public transport systems that recognize care workers’ needs

3. Legal Recognition

• Formalization of care work in labor laws
• Protection for domestic workers
• Recognition of care work in pension systems

The care crisis in Southern Africa demands immediate attention. As Mama Thandi and millions like her continue their daily juggle between paid and unpaid care work, we must ask: How long can we sustain an economic system that depends on the exploitation of women’s care labor?

We need a fundamental reimagining of care work – one that recognizes care as a public good, ensures fair compensation for care workers, and distributes care responsibilities equitably across society. The true measure of our economies should not be GDP growth alone, but how well we care for those who care for others.

As the African proverb says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” It’s time for Southern Africa to go far in transforming our care economy – together.