An awakening giant If Africa’s economies are to take off, Africans will have to start making a lot more things. They may well do so
The Economist - Feb 8th 2014 | ADDIS ABABA
LESS than an hour’s drive outside Ethiopia’s capital, Addis
Ababa, a farmer walks along a narrow path on a green valley floor after
milking his cows. Muhammad Gettu is carrying two ten-litre cans to a
local market, where he will sell them for less than half of what they
would fetch at a dairy in the city. Sadly, he has no transport. A
bicycle sturdy enough to survive unpaved tracks would be enough to
double his revenues. At the moment none is easily available. But that
may be about to change.
An affiliate of SRAM, the world’s second-largest
cycle-components maker, based in Chicago, is aiming to invest in
Ethiopia. Its Buffalo Bicycles look ungainly but have puncture-resistant
tires, a heavy frame and a rear rack that can hold 100kg. They are
designed and assembled in Africa, and a growing number of components are
made there from scratch, creating more than 100 manufacturing jobs.
About 150,000 Buffalo bikes are circulating on the continent, fighting
puncture-prone competition from Asia.
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