Metelerkamp, LukeMonk, David2026-10-142026-10-142023Metelerkamp, L., & Monk, D. (2023). Social ecosystem for skills research: Inclusivity, relationality and informality. In Transitioning Vocational Education and Training in Africa: A Social Skills Ecosystem Perspective (pp. 75-96). Bristol University Press. https://doi.org/10.51952/9781529224658.ch0059781529224658http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14270/979Open AccessEighty per cent of Africans work in the informal economy. This chapter considers the highly informal, unregulated and often marginalized contexts that form the majority experience of living, working and learning. Situating the praxis of horizontal learning within these very normal contexts of informality demands renewed analysis into the questions of how horizontal learning is facilitated, by whom, with what resources, and why. This is explored through two empirical case studies offering distinct lenses on the informal sector. In Gulu, the current dynamics of learning and inclusion among informal traders and community initiatives are considered. In Alice, South Africa, the chapter reflects on efforts by formal institutions to support expansive informal learning through food-growing initiatives.enSkills ecosystemsInformal learningVocational educationInclusionRelationalityAfricaBook chapter