Young Men's Livelihoods in “Waiting”

This article examines how the commodity cycle of natural gas alters the aspirations of youth working in the informal sector. Focusing on the gas industry in Mtwara, Tanzania, this article explores how the development of the industry influences the work aspirations of young men seeking financial independence. Drawing from ethnographic research, participant observation, and interviews with young men between 2020 and 2022, I demonstrate how working as motorcycle taxi drivers during the “gas rush” availed young men a newfound respectability linked to their upward socioeconomic mobility, a key marker in their transition to adulthood. As one of the more accessible and lucrative livelihoods, this article demonstrates how becoming a motorcycle driver acted as a transient conduit in their dual transitions from school to work and transitions from young men to adults.