How the informal economy tackles the middle class trap
In African countries where agriculture is a major socio-economic activity, policy makers and development agencies seem determined to move economic activities from agriculture to manufacturing.…
How African Agriculture is under-rated due to narrow notions of evidence
When economists and policy makers in developing countries talk about evidence, in most cases they mean numbers or statistics. For instance in African countries, statistics…
How African Agriculture expresses differences between Men and Women
Millions of dollars have gone into promoting gender equality in many developing countries. More millions continue to be poured into gender programmes. However, it has…
How can African agricultural economies balance opportunities and risks?
Risk has been part of life since time immemorial. Even before the dawn of modern banking, risk could not be separated from human survival opportunities…
Using experimentation to balance short term agricultural gains with long term value creation
Climate change and unstable agricultural markets in developing countries are forcing agricultural actors to rely on constant experimentation. Historical knowledge is no longer enough for…
Why ‘financial inclusion’ may not be the correct terminology
Over the past few years, financial authorities and development organizations in Africa have become fond of ‘financial inclusion’ as a process of involving many people…
Which country has achieved economic growth through micro finance?
If you answer the above question correctly, a ton of pearl millet is waiting for you at eMKambo. When many organisations across the globe are…
Why we need a healthy handshake between numbers and intuitions
Due to the hype surrounding Big Data, there is a temptation for economic planners in developing countries to over-depend on quantitative data (numbers) at the…
Making sense of invisible advantages in rural African communities
Many rural African communities have seen development programmes and business models come and go. What has kept these communities alive is their invisible advantages in…
ANALYSIS:What has gone wrong with the groundnut market in Zimbabwe?
Groundnut has traditionally been a famous cash cow in Zimbabwe. Many Cabinet ministers, captains of industry, academics and bankers can testify to have gone to…