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- Mapping global seasonality: national times of abundance and scarcity?
- Seasonality in incomes still underrated as influence on purchasing patterns
- Acknowledging the value of the informal sector as an economic engine
- Financial Inclusion survey and the informal economy
- The underlying principle of flexibility
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Category Archives: Sub Saharan Africa
Mapping global seasonality: national times of abundance and scarcity?
Connecting some dots made me think of this exercise. If national governments are increasingly looking at ways to bridge the informal economy with the formal, in order to provide more inclusive benefits to their citizens and at the same time … Continue reading
Posted in ASEAN, Bottom of the Pyramid, Business Models, Culture, Philipines, User research, Banking, India, Informal & Flexible, Africa, Buyer Behaviour, Income, Rural, Strategy, Sub Saharan Africa, Indigenous & Traditional, South Asia, Economy, Cashless transactions, Assumption filter, Migrant worker, South Africa, Kenya, global, Senegal, China
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Informal payment plans offer flexibility and convenience
Rural electronics shops in the North Meru region of Kenya are full of colour television sets, home stereos and DVD players as increasing electrification of smaller and smaller market towns takes place. How do aspiring customers pay for these high … Continue reading
Posted in Africa, Bottom of the Pyramid, Business Models, Economy, Income, Informal & Flexible, Rural, Strategy, Sub Saharan Africa, User research, Value
Tagged africa, consumer durable, flexible, kenya, layaway, pay as you, purchasing pattern
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Some concerns about ‘pay as you go’ lighting solutions in rural markets
Having just got back yesterday after immersion in an arid part of rural Kenya, it struck me after coming across yet another solar lighting solution with a pay as you go or prepaid business model that this may become a … Continue reading
Posted in Africa, Airtime, Alternative currency, Assumption filter, Bottom of the Pyramid, Business Models, Buyer Behaviour, Cashless transactions, India, Informal & Flexible, Kenya, Mobile platform, Rural, Sub Saharan Africa, User research, Value
Tagged africa, business model, cashless, pay as you go, prepaid, rural, subsistence farmer
Senegalese research on innovation processes in their informal ICT sector
I came across some excellent research by Dr Almamy Konte and Mariama Ndong of Senegal. While I’m sure the original working paper in French must be far better than this drafted English translation, their key points are nonetheless something to … Continue reading
Posted in Africa, Bottom of the Pyramid, Business Models, Culture, Economy, Income, Indigenous & Traditional, Informal & Flexible, Literature review, Mobile platform, Senegal, Strategy, Sub Saharan Africa
Tagged ICT, informal business, informal sector, innovation, innovation processes, marketing, organization, research, senegal
Ever smaller and smaller: how household budgets deal with rising prices and inflation
It is only an eighth of a kilogramme packet of sugar, yet many Kenyans can barely afford it. This particular size of sugar has many references among residents of Nyanza Province, such as kobole, Kadogo and Sukari ndogo. In Kisian … Continue reading
Posted in Africa, Bottom of the Pyramid, Buyer Behaviour, Economy, Expenses, Income, Kenya, Sub Saharan Africa, User research, Value
Pondering a new prepaid research focus
Ever since I completed the first Prepaid Economy study which looked at how those on irregular income streams managed their household finances – focusing on rural Philippines and India – I’ve been curious about rural Kenya. I’ve long wanted to … Continue reading
Welcome to Bazaaristan: global informal economy being recognized
Across the globe, 1.8 billion people — a quarter of the world’s population — work off the books each day. They are paid in cash for the goods they sell and the services they provide, and due to their ubiquity, … Continue reading
The global prepaid economy – map
Posted in Airtime, ASEAN, Business Models, Economy, global, India, Kenya, Mobile platform, Philipines, South Africa, South Asia, Sub Saharan Africa
Worldwide informal economies – infographic
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Posted in Africa, ASEAN, Bottom of the Pyramid, Economy, India, Informal & Flexible, Kenya, Philipines, South Africa, South Asia, Sub Saharan Africa
The role of women in informal trade in Africa
Section extract from this ARIA chapter “Informal Trade in Africa”: Women play a prominent role in informal trade, and in informal business activities in particular. These few figures are proof enough: four to five million women in West Africa are … Continue reading
