International Day of Care and Support
The changing landscape of care work in Africa
Care work, the daily, often invisible labour of tending to children, the elderly, the sick, and communities, lies at the heart of every society. In Africa, it has long been the foundation of family and community life. Traditionally, care has been unpaid, informal, and largely performed by women within extended family networks. However, as economies evolve, populations age, and urbanisation transforms social structures, the landscape of care work in Africa is shifting in complex and significant ways.
Historically, most care in Africa has occurred within households or communities rather than formal institutions. Grandparents, aunts, and neighbours have played central roles in raising children or supporting the ill, with minimal government or market involvement. However, several forces are reshaping this model.
Urbanisation and migration have reduced the proximity and availability of extended family support systems. Increasing participation of women in the formal workforce means fewer people are available to provide unpaid care. At the same time, the demand for care, especially for young children, people living with disabilities, and older adults, is rising. In response, Africa is witnessing a gradual growth in formal care sectors, including private childcare services, domestic work agencies, community-based elderly care programmes, and home health services. Yet, this transition also raises questions about quality, regulation, and decent work conditions, as many care workers remain underpaid, unprotected, and undervalued, despite their essential contributions.
Care work also sits at the intersection of gender equality and economic development. Women continue to perform the majority of unpaid domestic and care work across the continent, limiting their time for education, paid employment, and political participation. Recognising, reducing, and redistributing this burden is now a growing focus within policy discussions.
Governments and civil society actors are beginning to address care as a public policy issue rather than a private family matter. For example, national strategies around early childhood development, social protection, and labour rights increasingly acknowledge the need for investment in care infrastructure, from childcare centres to parental leave systems. These measures not only support families but also strengthen labour markets and productivity by enabling women’s full economic participation.
Cultural attitudes toward care are also evolving. In many African societies, care is deeply rooted in the values of community solidarity and reciprocity. However, the pressures of modern life, such as long working hours, economic migration, and urban anonymity, are testing these traditional safety nets.
This creates a tension between maintaining cultural models of collective responsibility and adapting to more individualised, market-driven systems of care. In some countries, remittances have become a substitute for physical caregiving, as family members working abroad finance hired domestic workers or care institutions. This shift raises ethical and social questions about emotional bonds, intergenerational relationships, and the social cost of migration.
The future of care work in Africa depends on how governments, employers, and communities respond to these changes. Investing in care systems should not be viewed as a social cost, but rather as a driver of development, one that creates jobs, supports gender equality, and fosters social cohesion.
Nevertheless, innovations in community-based care, cooperative childcare models, and digital health technologies show promise. Countries experimenting with social insurance and home-based care services for older adults are setting examples that combine traditional values with modern solutions.
However, stronger regulation, data collection, and professional training are needed to formalise care sectors and protect the rights of care workers. Partnerships between governments, civil society, and the private sector can help develop sustainable care economies that serve both families and workers.
Consequently, as Africa continues to transform economically and socially, care work remains both a constant and a changing force, an area where personal, cultural, and policy dimensions intersect. The challenge ahead is to ensure that care, in all its forms, is valued, visible, and supported, not as charity or obligation, but as an essential part of Africa’s social and economic future.
