Home Page

The Business of Everyday Africa: Why Informal Hustle Deserves Respect

Economy Latest News
In Africa, business doesn’t always wear a suit. It wears an apron, sets up on the roadside, rides a keke, and sells from the back of a van. Across the continent, millions of people run informal businesses small-scale, cash-based, often unregistered, but deeply important. They don’t get media coverage, but they keep cities alive.

Here’s why the informal sector is Africa’s most underrated economic engine:

1. It’s Where Most People Actually Work

In many African countries, over 80% of the workforce operates in the informal economy. From hairdressers to hawkers, tailors to mechanics these are not side hustles. They are real businesses, supporting real families.

2. It Responds Faster Than Formal Markets

When times get tough, informal businesses adapt quickly. A market woman might switch from tomatoes to onions based on prices. A shoemaker might become a mobile repairman. This flexibility keeps local economies resilient, especially during shocks like inflation or lockdowns.

3. It Runs on Relationships, Not Resumes

In the informal sector, trust is currency. Customers buy from someone they know. Young people learn trades from relatives or neighbors. Skills pass through communities, not certifications. It’s business built on connection.
4. It Needs Protection, Not Regulation Alone

Yes, informal businesses are often untaxed or unregistered. But the solution isn’t punishment it’s support: fair credit, secure spaces to trade, and access to basic services. When supported, these businesses grow. And when they grow, they lift entire neighborhoods.

5. It’s the Future for Millions So Let’s Build Around It

Formal employment is shrinking. But informal enterprise is growing. Governments, investors, and policymakers need to stop seeing it as a “problem” and start recognizing it as a foundation one that deserves visibility, dignity, and voice.

There’s Nothing Small About a Small Business

In Africa, the real economy isn’t always in office buildings. It’s in open-air stalls, weekend pop-ups, and early morning street corners.

If we’re serious about building inclusive wealth, we must stop asking people to “enter the system” and start asking how the system can enter where they already are because Africa doesn’t lack business it thrives on it. What it needs is belief.
Made on
Tilda