South African leisure in turbulent economic times

This paper will explore the very vulnerable economic situation of South African population after 1994 due to the ANC (first democratic government) negotiation with global agents such as the WB, WTO, IMF, and the concomitant acceptance of neo-liberalism in the country.  Public policies in the framework of neo-liberal agreements such as NEDLAC, deeply affected the impoverished and already excluded population from the formal labour market.

Millions of people in the current South Africa do not have access to housing, service delivery, education, jobs, etc.  More and more people become part of the informal economy trying to earn the means of subsistence day by day. The struggle for survival brings suffering and starvation for many living in informal settlements. It is in this framework that the concept of leisure activities and leisure time can be observed as a very expensive and unreachable commodity, leaving only the household or the community space as a free or very cheap place to expend its time out of work.