Base of the Pyramid Markets in Africa Innovation and Challenges to Sustainability

This book focuses on the Base of the Pyramid (BOP) in Africa and examines the role of the private sector in the fight against poverty. The BOP concept, which is a market-based approach to poverty eradication, presents a great avenue for businesses to develop opportunities and new business models that enable and empower those in the BOP population in Africa to raise their socio-economic welfare and well-being. The BOP market and the business interest in the BOP in Africa is rising. This book furthers our understanding of the characteristics of BOP markets in Africa, and the challenges and opportunities to address poverty and development in a sustainable manner. The book covers various themes of BOP markets and their embeddedness in social-cultural settings in Africa. The different chapters employ a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches to advance research and practice of BOP in Africa. The book chapters reflect multiple diversities that characterise sub-Saharan Africa based on studies in13 country contexts and from five industry sectors. This book is recommended reading for managers and policy makers, as well as students and academics interested in Base of the Pyramid markets.

Part I: BOP markets 1 The Base of the Pyramid markets in Africa: Opportunities and challenges 2 Why do firms choose to fight poverty? The motivation behind inclusive business practices in Africa Part II: Drivers and barriers of BOP markets 3 Juxtaposing supply- and demand-side drivers and barriers of technology adoptionat the Base of the Pyramid Markets in Uganda 4 Risk and social value creation in volatile BOP markets: A case study from Somalia 5 BOP business models and partnerships in the context of state failure Part III: Roles, cooperation, and structure in BOP markets 6 Addressing social sustainability on Base of the Pyramid markets through business model innovations: A comparative study within Africa’s fashion industry 7 Women’s economic empowerment and agricultural value chain development: Evidence from Mashonaland West Province in Zimbabwe Part IV: Design, integration, innovation, and change of BOP markets 8 Building and scaling social enterprise business models for BOP markets in Kenya 9 From informal to formal and back: Theoretical reflections on the formal – informal divide in the Base of the Pyramid markets

Judy N.Muthuri is Associate Professor of Corporate Social Responsibility at Nottingham University Business School (NUBS), UK,and chairs the Social and Environmental Responsibility Group leading theSchool’s UN Principles for Responsible Management Education work. Marlen Gabriele Arnold is a professor in the field of sustainability. Currently, she holds the Chair for Corporate Environmental Management and Sustainability at the Chemnitz University of Technology, Germany. Stefan Gold is Professor and Chair of Sustainability Management at the University of Kassel, Germany. Ximena Rueda is Associate Professor at the School of Managementat theUniversidad de los Andes,Colombia.