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The sustainable skills that informal manufacturers use in volatile times remain poorly understood. This study explored the skills that the informal manufacturers used to navigate the uncertain business environment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 27 telephone interviews were conducted with informal entrepreneurs who were manufacturers of agricultural machinery at Mbare Magaba and Gaza home industry in Harare, Zimbabwe. Purposive and snow ball sampling were used to identify information rich sources. The authors used thematic analysis in identifying recurrent themes from this study.

The study results show that business agility motivated most informal manufacturers to restructure their business to sustain their operations. With the closure of formal companies, the informal manufacturers adopted slowing and narrowing loops through purchasing broken down agricultural machines for repairs or remanufacturing of durable machines for their low-income customer base. Most young and formally trained manufacturers adopted a prospector strategic behaviour as they used digital platforms to network with business associates for supplies, gathering market intelligence, making and receiving electronic payments and establishing virtual distant markets whilst the older manufacturers resorted mostly to a defender strategic behaviour of engaging their usual customers for repair jobs and a few referrals.

This study offers unique insights with respect to skills required for the sustainable and strategic management of small and medium enterprises during times of crisis.

Despite growing emphasis on green skills, innovation, and sustainable livelihoods, research remains limited in the informal economy, particularly in developing countries. This study investigates gaps in green skills training, innovations and livelihoods among informal metal fabricators, shedding light on the challenges and opportunities within this sector. Specifically, the study critically assesses the potential for upskilling informal metal fabricators through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and university innovation hubs.

Employing a qualitative interpretive methodology, we conducted 40 key informant interviews with small-scale informal metal fabricators operating in Magaba and Gaza home industries, two of Harare’s largest home industries in Zimbabwe. Subsequent key informant interviews were held with TVET educators and innovation hub lecturers. Observations were carried out over a period of three months to comprehensively explore the issues under investigation.

Gender disparities persist within informal innovation spaces, with women making strides in the traditionally male-dominated field of metal fabrication. However, challenges such as prejudices, stigma, ridicule and abuse hinder women’s full participation in manufacturing processes, often relegating them to less physically demanding roles like customer engagement and product marketing. Inequities in support for green skills training were evident, with the innovation hub model primarily catering to formally educated youth in universities, neglecting the active involvement of notable informal innovators with limited formal education. While a gradual shift toward renewable energy sources is observable in the informal economy, government-owned TVET institutions show minimal or no adjustments in course content to incorporate essential green skills. In light of the findings, the study proposes measures to ensure equitable green skills training, innovation and the promotion of sustainable livelihoods in the informal metal fabrication sector.

The findings of this study represent a novel contribution the gaps in green skills training in the informal economy and how these inform reforms for vocational learning and training practices and the incubation of innovations.