Survivalist Entrepreneurs
This is a page on survivalist entrepreneurs.
Seed content[edit]
Zimbabwe[edit]
79% of the vendors we interviewed stated that vending was a temporary income generating measure they engaged in to feed themselves from day to day. Should Zimbabwe have an economic turnaround, these street vendors would leave vending completely. Street vending, for most, is a coping mechanism, and a means of survival in an economy under transition and monetary reform. Because of the desire to survive, the avenues to generate income are therefore fluid between legal and illegal trade. A similar trend has been identified in South Africa, during a study on exploring how early school dropouts cope as survivalist entrepreneurs. They found that “for many millions of people, particularly poor black South Africans who form part of the informal sector as survivalist entrepreneurs experience hard times and their way of living is not easy as they have to be satisfied with whatever amount they are able to make after a long day’s work. For them there is simple no visible alternatives.” The key word in this statement is ALTERNATIVES. Are there ways we can explore and expand a population’s perception on alternative revenue streams in the environment they live in? The transition from survivalists to entrepreneurs in street vending may require investment in educational programs and business training to shift the mindset of vendors from temporary interventions to sustainable long-term ventures.
Source: AccLab Blog
This excerpt is also potentially relevant to: Informal Sectors