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Household enterprises in Mozambique : key to poverty reduction but not on the development agenda ?

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  • Fox, Louise
  • Sohnesen, Thomas Pave

Abstract

Household enterprises -- usually one-person-operated tiny informal enterprises -- are a rapidly growing source of employment in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in lower-income countries. Household enterprises tend to operate with limited interest or support from governments. This is the case in Mozambique, where neither the poverty reduction strategy nor small and medium enterprise development policies include household enterprises. Using multiple household surveys, including a recent panel data set, this paper identifies the characteristics of the sector and its development during the period in which Mozambique experienced rapid economic growth. The analysis finds that household enterprises in Mozambique are associated with higher household consumption, lower rural poverty, as well as upward mobility, particularly for rural and poorly educated households. But if the Mozambican government wants to tap this potential, it will need a different strategy than one designed to support small and medium enterprises, because creation and survival in this sector seems to depend on a set of factors related to the human capital in the household and development in the location, not the soft business environment constraints, such as licensing and permitting and corruption, which are cited by larger business.

Suggested Citation

  • Fox, Louise & Sohnesen, Thomas Pave, 2013. "Household enterprises in Mozambique : key to poverty reduction but not on the development agenda ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6570, The World Bank.
  • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:6570
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Loening, Josef & Mikael Imru, Laketch, 2009. "Ethiopia: Diversifying the Rural Economy. An Assessment of the Investment Climate for Small and Informal Enterprises," MPRA Paper 23278, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Kweka, Josaphat & Fox, Louise, 2011. "The household enterprise sector in Tanzania : why it matters and who cares," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5882, The World Bank.
    3. Arndt, Channing & Simler, Kenneth R., 2005. "Estimating utility-consistent poverty lines," FCND briefs 189, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    4. Alfani, Federica & Azzarri, Carlo & d'Errico, Marco & Molini, Vasco, 2012. "Poverty in Mozambique : new evidence from recent household surveys," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6217, The World Bank.
    5. Channing Arndt & M. Azhar Hussain & E. Samuel Jones & Virgulino Nhate & Finn Tarp & James Thurlow, 2011. "Explaining Poverty Evolution: The Case of Mozambique," WIDER Working Paper Series 017, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    6. Arndt, Channing & Hussain, M. Azhar & Jones, E. Samuel & Nhate, Virgulino & Tarp, Finn & Thurlow, James, 2011. "Explaining Poverty Evolution: The Case of Mozambique," Conference papers 332145, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    7. Louise Fox, 2008. "Beating the Odds : Sustaining Inclusion in Mozambique's Growing Economy," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6504, December.
    8. Barrett, C. B. & Reardon, T. & Webb, P., 2001. "Nonfarm income diversification and household livelihood strategies in rural Africa: concepts, dynamics, and policy implications," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 315-331, August.
    9. Fox, Louise & Pimhidzai, Obert, 2011. "Is informality welfare-enhancing structural transformation ? evidence from Uganda," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5866, The World Bank.
    10. Mead, Donald C. & Liedholm, Carl, 1998. "The dynamics of micro and small enterprises in developing countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 61-74, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Sam Jones & Thomas Pave Sohnesen & Neda Trifkovic, 2023. "Educational expansion and shifting private returns to education: Evidence from Mozambique," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(6), pages 1407-1428, August.
    2. Katarzyna Cieslik & Olivia D’Aoust, 2018. "Risky Business? Rural Entrepreneurship in Subsistence Markets: Evidence from Burundi," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 30(4), pages 693-717, September.
    3. Ram Ranjan, 2019. "How Socio-Economic and Natural Resource Inequality Impedes Entrepreneurial Ventures of Farmers in Rural India," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 31(3), pages 433-460, July.
    4. Chatani, Kazutoshi. & Pedro, Oluwaseun Olufemi., 2014. "The role of central banks in meeting the development and employment challenges : the case of Mozambique," ILO Working Papers 994865563402676, International Labour Organization.
    5. Owoo, Nkechi S. & Naudé, Wim, 2014. "Non-Farm Enterprise Productivity and Spatial Autocorrelation in Rural Africa: Evidence from Ethiopia and Nigeria," IZA Discussion Papers 8295, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Nagler, Paula & Naudé, Wim, 2014. "Labor Productivity in Rural African Enterprises: Empirical Evidence from the LSMS-ISA," IZA Discussion Papers 8524, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Ram Ranjan, 2015. "How Prolonged Droughts And Farm Subsidies Influence Entrepreneurial Ventures By Farmers," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(04), pages 1-21, December.
    8. repec:ilo:ilowps:486556 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Nagler, Paula & Naudé, Wim, 2014. "Young Entrepreneurs in Rural Africa: Prevalence, Determinants, Productivity," IZA Discussion Papers 8564, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Nagler, Paula & Naudé, Wim, 2014. "Non-Farm Entrepreneurship in Rural Africa: Patterns and Determinants," IZA Discussion Papers 8008, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    Keywords

    Access to Finance; Rural Poverty Reduction; Housing&Human Habitats; Regional Economic Development;
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