There is no doubt that African markets are as diverse as African countries and cultures. The eleven stories in this publication are just the tip of the iceberg.
Mostly associated with fresh fruits, vegetables, and live animals straight from production zones, African markets bring together many people, irrespective of class, religion, or socioeconomic backgrounds.
African markets have long since recognised that smallholder farmers, who are in the majority in Africa, cannot produce solely for narrow value chains but are good at reflecting wider food systems. They do not exist in isolation but co-exist with traditional markets and prove that not all agricultural commodities can be traded through formal channels. That is why all African countries have dynamic markets stretching from rural areas to urban roadsides.
The eleven short stories describe and celebrate the diversity of market experiences from Senegal in the west through central and eastern Africa all the way down to Lesotho in the south of the continent.
