The document discusses smart business ideas for developing and emerging countries. It outlines several business ideas that could help reduce unemployment and poverty, including virtual assistance, English teaching online, consulting, graphic design, chicken farming, snail farming, ruminant livestock farming, integrated fish farming, pig farming, and mobile banking. It emphasizes that these business ideas need access to financing, enabling legal and political environments, inclusion of local stakeholders, sustainability practices, and partnerships to help ideas become successful businesses. Mobile technology, linking entrepreneurs to investors online, and infrastructure development are also discussed as tools to support business growth.

1. Smart Business Ideas for Stakeholders
in developing and Emerging Countries
Author: Ivo Arrey Mbongaya
African Centre for Community and Development
Workshop: Business and Development Ideas for Startups, SMEs,
NGOs, graduates, women and the general public.
Organized by African Centre for Community and Development.
5th to 7th of March, 2019
Limbe, Cameroon.

2. Presentation Focus
• This presentation focuses on smart business ideas for
developing and emerging countries. The intention is to
describe and outline portals available for smart entries in
business in these contexts so as to reduce unemployment,
fight poverty, reduce gender gaps in development, spur
growth and funding into diverse sectors of the economy.
• The presentation is also flexible in linking “developing” and
“emerging” countries within an ecosystem despite subtle
differences as there are definitely many similar factors,
issues and pillars that can be found in both especially in the
contexts of Africa, Middle East , Asia and Latin America.
Despite this , the presentation makes strong points for
Africa as it is the region in which this workshop is taking
place.

3. Some Worthy definitions
• For the context of this presentation the definition of developing/Emerging countries by Wikipedia
has been adopted. It goes thus “A developing country (or a low and middle income
country (LMIC), less developed country, less economically developed country (LEDC),
or underdeveloped country) is a country with a less developed industrial base and a low Human
Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally
agreed upon. There is also no clear agreement on which countries fit this category. A
nation's GDP per capita compared with other nations can also be a reference point…”.
• Meanwhile an emerging market or country still based on Wikipedia “ is a country that has some
characteristics of a developed market, but does not satisfy standards to be termed a developed
market.[ This includes countries that may become developed markets in the future or were in the
past.The term "frontier market" is used for developing countries with smaller, riskier, or more
illiquid capital markets than "emerging".[The economies of China and India are considered to be
the largest emerging markets.[According to The Economist, many people find the term outdated,
but no new term has gained traction.”
• By every indication therefore , both emerging or developing countries have needs and aspirations
to be developed as well as to better living conditions of their sub-populations. While this calls for
more robust ideation/entrepreneurial processes for business, start ups or incubation in these
countries these processes and others or needs , ironically still exist in developed countries as well
as they struggle to spur or maintain growth even though in varying degrees.

4. Local Anatomy of
Emerging/Developing markets
• High levels of unemployment
• High levels of poverty.
• High levels of vulnerabilities among sub-populations including women/men, youths and elders,
public/private stakeholders etcetera.
• High levels of vertical and horizontal inequalities.
• Food insecurity
• Limited levels of land ownership
• Low levels of industrialization
• Poor levels of infrastructural development
• Low access to financing/financial instruments for individuals/SMEs, NGOs etc
• Low levels of assets in the built in environment (technologies)
• Active informal Economy
• Strong public sector
• High levels of legal and other needs
• Different Environments within given societies. Example being countries with relative peace and war
in certain areas. Example is Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Congo DR etc

5. Some smart business ideas worth
focusing on…
• Virtual Assistant. Good for someone who can multitask and work flexible hours. Platforms/websites
to explore include Upwork or Jobspresso.
• English Teacher: Most jobs require English and non-native speakers of English offer a lucrative
market for teachers online. This justifies the need for accompanying studies in English with ICTs.
• There are opportunities being a consultant, coach or mentor in fields where one has significant
experiences. This can help retirees, researchers and families to diversify their incomes. Good
platforms include The Muse or Coach .
• Backyard chicken farming or village poultry. This is good in a model that chickens are allowed to
scavenge while other models depend on kitchen or farm wastes to avoid high costs of industrial
feed. Usually small incubators are attached to this models to ensure faster growth of the business.
Whether chicken farming is done intensively or extensively, it can be very lucrative as there are off
takers in most economies for chicken related products. They include households, restaurants,
cultural traditional ceremonial activities with chicken etcetera. Worth noting chicken farming must
be accompanied with research, learning and understanding of production techniques and markets
to be sustainable just like it is in many similar livestock systems. African Centre for Community and
Development is also advocating for the adoption of Naked Neck poultry in Africa as a smart
business idea. See https://www.slideshare.net/ArreyCup/why-naked-neck-poultry-needs-to-be-
put-in-focus-in-africa-by-ivo-arrey-mbongaya-125226851

6. Picture of village poultry business in
Africa

7. Some smart business ideas worth
focusing on…
• Graphic designers are needed in the market globally. Skills in Adobe
Illustrator, Photoshop or Sketch, can help make your CV more professional
or can be entry points to platforms like Fiverr or Upwork or to source for
remote jobs on portals as Jobspresso. Skillshare is also a platform that
one can enroll to develop skills intimated above.
• Snail farming can be very lucrative. While snails are pests in some places ,
they are healthy food in many other places including Africa and Asia.
Knowing that there is local dietary preference for the species and that it
can be farmed in cages or in the backyard or can be farmed literally from
kitchen wastes, it is thus a device that stakeholders with small capital can
engage in. Snails are also fast breeders and egg layers and can be sold or
eaten in households to improve on access to proteins or to raise extra cash
for domestic needs. See Ismail Abdulazzez – The African Snail Farmer who
grows money in his home backyard published here:
https://www.smallstarter.com/get-inspired/ismail-abdulazzez/

8. Some smart business ideas worth focusing
on…Ruminant Livestock farming
• Ruminant livestock farming with focus on Napier/maize
farming for feed, use of dung for the production of biogas ,
fertilizers is a useful model for developing/emerging
countries where energy costs are high, where access to
electricity is low or where industrial livestock feed is
expensive. Zero grazing models have been tested in East
Africa. Worth noting that African Centre for Community
and Development has also tested farming Napier grass in
bags for livestock keeping as a model.
• This model can be done in groups or individually. In groups
when resources like land or animal sheds or cost of buying
animals has to be shared or individually or as a start up or
SME/NGO resource generation tool.

9. Picture of African Centre for Community and Development’s
model of farming Napier grass in bags for livestock keeping .

10. Some smart business ideas worth
focusing on…Integrated fish farming
• Here aquaculture recycling with catfish and tilapia is the model which also integrates fish feed
production, drying/processing and value chains including roasting joints , restaurants etc.
• Like livestock keeping the model can best work for individuals or teams . For teams which is typical
model in resource scarce environments like developing and emerging countries or Africa, it will
entail financial contributions, donation or lease of land for the project, hiring or integrating fish
experts in the project as well as collective supervision, monitoring and marketing in varying
degrees. This model helps to spread costs and reduce risks as in farming maize for fish feed as part
of the integrated approach, stakeholders are no longer exposed to risks associated to speculation
and price hikes of items used in the preparation or production of fish feed. Farming oil palms and
fish is also an interesting model as the former can be used in making feed.
• An individual or small business can also farm fish by erecting a pond or few ponds. It can be an
earthen pond, deviating water into raised ponds etcetera. Worth noting that in this case access to
financing is a handicap just like accessing fingerlings. If these set backs are redressed fish farming
can be very lucrative for both teams, groups, villages, families, SMEs, NGOs and individuals in
places like sub-Saharan Africa with 2.6 percent annual population growth rate and Africa with 1.2
billion mouths and 350 million middle class with a US dollars 1.3 trillion plus spending power in
2010.
• Duck farming has also been tried with fish farming as well as poultry farming. The litter of
poultry/ducks is considered healthy fish feed capable of cutting the cost of farmers and businesses.

11. Some smart business ideas worth
focusing on…Pig farming
• Pig farming can be a smart business idea or practice.
• Pigs are raised for their meat and possible off-takers across Africa include grilling
businesses along urban streets, families, hotels, restaurants. Pork is also
demanded in funeral and marriage related ceremonies in Cameroon and many
parts of Africa.
• Also pigs are fast breeders and omnivores hence can be raised from a variety of
grasses as well as with industrial feed. Their gestation is about 4 months hence the
species can be used in such strategies that aim at rapid growth of pig numbers for
large scale customers as well as guarantee regularity for users who need a
constant supply.
• It is worth starting a pig business in developing and emerging economies because
of the diverse ways in which the species is eaten as well as due to rapid increase in
populations in urban areas and cities in countries where pigs are consumed.
• A small piece of pork meat can cost two US dollars in some city centres in
Cameroon while a kilogram can reach above 6 dollars. Sustainable pig farming that
deals in affordable feed systems and market intelligence is thus a lucrative venture
in Africa as well as many parts of the developing/emerging markets.

12. Necessary Elements for sustaining smart business
ideas in developing/emerging markets
• Access to finance. Most developing and emerging countries have low access to finance for start ups, SMEs
etc and have high levels of the global unbanked hence benefit from little or no financial services.
• Enabling Environment. Protection of investors, their property and business by the law is vital in sustaining
smart ideas for acceleration and incubation. This must be merged with the built-in environment,
livelihoods, cultures, political-economies etc.
• Fair laws on intellectual property, labour markets etc. Recently there has been some abuses registered
within the mining sector in Africa and this has affected expansion in some countries.
• Inclusion of local stakeholders in management of ensuing businesses. Most blame attributed to aid and
trade in the 19th and 20th century in Africa as well as aid as a tool for development has been the lack of
beneficiary inclusion which often leads to lack of business and project ownership from stakeholders for
whom these interventions where designed. The use of foreign technical assistants and project managers in
places where such skills reside locally is arguably also a major ground for project and business failures.
• Sustainability , ESG, Corporate Social Responsibility, Impact Investing, SDGs frameworks etcetera are
increasingly being used by investors to do businesses in developing and emerging countries. This can help
in a holistic sense to link businesses to better environmental and social stewardship which in the context
of climate change, human rights and 21st century in general is a must in many markets. It must also be said
that standards set aside by investors have also been criticized for being unattainable or hypocritical
judging from operations of such investors in other parts of the globe.
• Partnerships, the use of ICTS and increasingly block chain has also been prescribed as vital tools in
developing ideas into sustainable businesses. This must however take into consideration local contexts
and diverse organizational cultures globally.

13. Some Tools being used to better smart
ideas into reality
• Mobile banking. This has gained grounds in East Africa. It arguably has
profited farmers, increased access to farm inputs, health care etc. It is
however criticized for being foreign owned and with little local
investments, affiliates or zeal to re-invest in local economies.
• Linking entrepreneurs and investors in online platforms. This is working
despite criticisms of the theft of ideas/intellectual property as well as little
incentives in motivating local stakeholders involved in linking investors and
entrepreneurs. Despite this, this sector will expand if local representatives
of investors are paid not just by commissions but for their expertise, local
situational intelligence and as a tool for participation in business
development.
• Some countries are reforming their governance structures and investing in
infrastructure including roads, energy, warehouses etc and also investing
in vocational training in order to build a healthy work force for future
investors or companies. This however has to be accelerated as with
democratic reforms or with respect of human/property rights locally.

14. Conclusion
• There are many smart business ideas for developing and emerging
markets. These ideas if supported can lead to lucrative businesses
in these countries. This must however be accompanied with
improvements in access to finance, infrastructure, local
governances as well as protection of intellectual property, business
property and investors by local statutes and practices. There must
be an enabling environment that takes into account the
sustainability of projects as well as their social impacts. This is vital
in ensuring that business can operate and affect lives positively
especially in contexts where there is high levels of poverty despite
the abundance of natural and other resources. This can be done
more effectively with more technological friendly interventions and
a better understanding of organizational cultures as well as with
inclusion of skilled and other stakeholders in the design and
development of projects and businesses. This can be done. It
should be done.

15. Bibliography
• Access to Finance Sub-Saharan Africa . Published online in
https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/e8ea2e004149f9f48008a39
e78015671/For+Print+E+FY13+highlights.pdf?MOD=AJPERES
• Following Mobile Money's Rise In Africa, Mobile Banking Is Now
Booming . Published online in
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tobyshapshak/2018/12/27/following
-mobile-moneys-rise-in-africa-mobile-banking-is-now-
booming/#5b894515cf3d
• Mobile banking in South Africa: A review and directions for future research
Published Online in
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318714486_Mobile_banking_i
n_South_Africa_A_review_and_directions_for_future_research

16. Bibliography
• ESG and impact investing: an emerging business driver . Published online in
https://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY-ESG-and-impact-investing-an-
emerging-business-driver/%24FILE/EY-ESG-and-impact-investing-an-emerging-
business-driver.pdf
• DOING BUSINESS 2019… Published Online in
http://www.worldbank.org/content/dam/doingBusiness/media/Annual-
Reports/English/DB2019-report_web-version.pdf
• Special Issue : Why Do Projects Fail in Africa?.Article in Journal of African
Business 15(3):151-155 ·DOI: 10.1080/15228916.2014.956635 .
• Top Agriculture Business Ideas In Africa – Profitable Farming Opportunities .
Published online in https://thebusinessalert.com/agriculture-business-ideas-in-
africa/
• Why napier grass needs to be put in focus. Published online in
https://www.slideshare.net/ArreyCup/why-napier-grass-needs-to-be-put-in-focus-
by-arrey-ivo

17. Author: Ivo Arrey Mbongaya

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