From abject poverty to aspiring middle class: Micro entrepreneurship in urban Mozambique

Abstract

Shaw (2004) makes a distinction between survival micro-enterprises and entrepreneurial micro-enterprises. In developing countries where the poor are poorly educated, finance and technology are largely unaffordable, most micro-enterprises are entered into for survival purposes. Does this preclude them from growth and entrepreneurial activity? Kiggundu (2002) identifies that despite significant problems, there are promising cases of an emerging entrepreneurial class in Africa.