In this article, we explore the cases of two Congolese refugee women who have pivoted their social media engagements to entrepreneurship to offset their immobilisation resulting from the Tanzanian asylum regime. The fear of losing access to mobile communication amid the introduction of biometric SIM card registration highlighted the critical importance of mobile telephony to the livelihoods of urban refugees in Dar-es-Salaam. Based on ethnographic research, including qualitative interviews, focus group discussions and (digital) observation, we look at the novel entrepreneurial opportunities facilitated by social media, mainly WhatsApp and Instagram. While highlighting how virtual mobility and connectivity provide an already marginalised group with essential workarounds, our findings also underscore how these online encounters do not substitute for the need for offline connections. We argue for a nuanced reading of technology’s potential to resolve disparities, as we also observe how it can reinforce intersectional discrimination based on gender and lack of legal status.
Back et al. (Tue,) studied this question.