Imilender's tour in Sub-saharan africa

When an European is unemployed, he'll mainly just takes it easy. When an African is unemployed, he will go out early in the morning, try to find some economical oportunity to earn some money and then come back home with that money. That results in the fact that you will see several different kind of entrepreneurs everywhere. What however is stricking is that there are only very few beggars. People truly try to make their living by selling something.

I took the picture yesterday. It was a guy he was sewing trousers just outside our office. Unfortunately the picture is taken from quite a far a way, but he is using an old Singer that he actually operates by winding a nob with his right hand. He's just sitting there sewing business mens' (and womens') clothes day in and out. Didn't ask the prices but I doubt if he chargest more than R10 (€1) for shortening pants.

All the parking places also include car wash facilities. For example there is one in the garage of our office. They will charge me R25 (€2.5) for washing my car from the outside, and this is handwash of course. If I ask them to also clean the car from inside, that R10 extra. The price diffence is just amazing when you think what you would pay for the same service in Finland.

Other entrepreneurs include quys selling goods at intersections. They truly to have a market sence. Close to a clothing store, they are selling cloth hangers, during a sunny day they would be selling beach gear, on a rainy day they start selling umbrellas. Toys are of course a very common item as well. When the traffic lights are out, one of these quys might even start directing traffic.

Also close to hardware stores there are always loads of unemployed people with tools like paint brushes in hand. So if you need a tiler or painter, you can just pick a quy from the intersection. Only problem to this thriving entrepreneurship is the crime. I personally at least do not dare to buy much of the items from the quys at intersections as some of them might want to steal you once you open your window. Also I would not dare to take a handyman from the intersection to my home, as you never know if you can trust him. Never the less, they must be able to sell they services to some people, otherwise I doubt there would be so many of them still around.