ABSTRACT
It has long been observed that business has something to do with ethnicity. This is particularly true in Africa. In manufacturing, for instance, members of non-indigenous communities dominate business in specific countries in spite of the fact that they represent only tiny minorities in the population as a whole (e.g., Marris 1971; Himbara 1994; Fafchamps 2002a). Similar observations have been made by numerous authors regarding agricultural trade (e.g., Bauer 1954; Geertz 1963; Cohen 1969; Meillassoux 1971; Jones 1972; Amselle 1977; Geertz et al. 1979; Staatz 1979). In this respect, Africa is reminiscent of ancient trade practices in other parts of the world (e.g., Braudel 1986; North 1990; Greif 1993; Greif 1994). Similar comments have been made about gender and the conspicuous absence of women entrepreneurs in many parts of Africa (Spring and McDade 1998).
