Rapid urbanization and rising urban poverty characterize much of Sub-Saharan Africa in
the 21st Century. Africa’s urban transition provides the context within which this thesis
examines the causes and consequences of poverty and food insecurity in the growing
informal settlements of Windhoek, Namibia. Rapid urbanization in Windhoek has been
accompanied by limited industrialization with few job opportunities in the formal
employment sector. Moreover, the informal sector has not been able to absorb the ever
rising volume of migrants from the rural areas, increasing urban poverty and food
insecurity among the most vulnerable group in the urban environment: female-centred
households in informal settlements. The informal settlements in Windhoek are an ideal site
in which to examine the struggle for food security and other basic needs by poor women.
Despite the accumulated literature on the food security of female-centred households,
much of this work has focused on the rural sector and has paid little attention to the
contribution of women to food security in the urban areas, and the strategies they adopt to
eke out a living. This study combines qualitative and quantitative research methods in
order to understand the factors that determine the food security status of female-centred
households and to explore their strategies to access food and build resilience to food
insecurity. Firstly, the thesis demonstrates that female-centred households in the informal
settlements are poorer and more food insecure than all other types of household. Secondly,
these households source food from a variety of sources including supermarkets, the
informal food economy and rural-urban food transfers. Urban agriculture is completely
unimportant as a food source. Thirdly, formal food sources such as supermarkets may offer
cheaper quality food but they are located too far from the informal settlements for regular
use. Fourthly, female-centred households rely heavily on the informal food sources, both as
consumers and as a source of income for their own households.