A bimonthly magazine for disseminating news, views, features to those whose work, research or interest relates to the informal sector. Published since 1991. Subscriptions are £25 ($35) for individual subscribers, and £50 ($70) for institutional ones.
Gwenda Brophy, Editor, Microenterprise News, 6 Mosslea Road, Bromley Kent BR2 9PS, UK. Tel/Fax 0181 460 2280. email<mentnews@netcomuk.co.uk> or <gbrophy@netcomuk.co.uk>
website provided by OPENAIR-MARKET NET
South African Hawkers Face Wrath - article from Vol. 7, no. 1
Content Summary for Vol. 7, no.1 issue of Microenterprise News (1997)
Content Summary for Vol. 7, no.2
The idea for MN came when I was in Southern Africa - Botswana, Swaziland and Lesotho. I had recently completed an MSc in Demography at LSE and so was working on a very different range of topics - family planning, and the big growing issue of concern in the region then, AIDS. But I used to be fascinated by these entrepreneurs who would set up their stalls - not just the mainly women fruit sellers on the pavement - but the shoe repairer who regularly set up, throwing a piece of tarpaulin over the branches of the same tree on a piece of waste ground, or the guy who had a stall in the mall - he had a polaroid camera, and did a good trade taking snaps for people, like me for example, who needed a passport photo; and if you weren't happy with your hair before you were snapped he would also cut your hair.
In Lesotho a young enterprising Basotho had a very enticingly smelling stall providing hot food - mashed potato and meat at his little stall opposite all the offices. His cafe was composed of a patio parasol and table. What was impressive was the degree of enterprise, initiative among these people for whom there was certainly no safety net.
I began to read a little more about this area and found it was full of controversy - how best to assist them - should they be assisted indeed as opposed to merely creating level playing fields. There is, as you know, a seemingly endless literature on how this sector should be viewed, all that I have seen really only points to a very complex area where there are no easy answers.
MN remains independent of established agencies because it really does seek to reflect the complexity of this sector in all its forms. Certainly microecredit has dominated in terms of sub-issues of late, and I try and make sure that it does not become Microcredit News - there is so much more.
The issue (Summer/97) had features on informal sector associations "an excellent vehicle for disseminating technology information but it has to be appropriate technology that lead to appropriate products" wrote the author; Journal Watch section looked at several of the latest journal offerings; a feature on cloning the Grameen Bank; and one of making sure rural people don't lose out on the internet revolution, plus Noticeboard, plus something on child labour. A regular feature is the Streetlife section and in this issue it looks at street traders in South Africa, swelled by immigrants from neighbouring countries they have been avoiding crocodiles and lions (some have not been so lucky) to meet the ire of the South African traders; a survey in the same country found that street traders are frequented by all sections of the population (quite interesting reading!).
AIDSWatch is an occasional feature which often looks at the way street traders can and do assist in the fight against AIDS, eg in Ghana lottery ticket sellers often sell condoms, and in India health groups often work in the lorry stops among the seller of the wares that appear in such places. Just looking at some of the past issues I found one bit of news where women traders in Cote d'Ivoire threw chilli peppers at authorities who were trying to stop their market...
MN will never be a moneymaker; I also do freelance work for magazines and newspapers which keeps MN going. One of the areas I am looking at in terms of finance is that of producing special issues - say on appropriate technology for the informal sector, which may involve obtaining grants from interested agencies. The key of course is to remain independent - but also to keep the thing going!