Multiple outlets discuss a recurring question across African societies: who will care for people as they grow old. Both pieces describe a long-standing, informal “agreement” in which children are expected to look after their parents in later life, rather than care being handled through contracts or formal financial products.
The reports link this expectation to broader social and economic changes. They point to migration—of working-age adults—and shifting family responsibilities as factors that can weaken or complicate traditional caregiving arrangements. The articles frame the issue as part of the “hidden economics” of ageing: time, labour, and financial support within families are influenced by who remains in a given household, who leaves for work, and how remittances or assistance replace or fail to replace day-to-day care.
While neither source appears to focus on a specific country policy in the provided excerpts, the common thread is that demographic ageing and mobility are changing how caregiving responsibilities are planned and carried out within families, raising uncertainty for older people about future support.
