not necessarily have very good incomes but they must have a good disposable income .
This brings into play a common thread that we noticed from Lagos to Lusaka . The entrepreneurial disposition of the middle class . They are struggling to augment their incomes . They all have what they call ‘ side gigs ’ or ‘ hustles ’ as they call them in Kenya or Kitalu ( Vegetable garden ) in Dar es Salaam . In our survey , we call this the ‘ the hustle ’. 71 % of the middle class , a majority , assert that their income will vary from month to month augmented by income form their entrepreneurial ventures besides their day jobs .
Source Percentage
Full Time Employment |
31 % |
Self Employed |
32 % |
Studying |
13 % |
Unemployed 26 % Source : Ipsos Africa Lions Survey 2017
The middle class does not necessarily own the houses they live in around most cities . Yes , it is imperative that most of them invest in owning their own homes . It was also interesting to observe that the investment in homes means buying land , getting involved in the actual design , and construction of houses . Only 48 % of the middle class own houses , with the rest renting their living quarters . They live in houses , flats , single rooms and remarkably shacks .
In 2013 only about 20,000 Kenyans had taken up mortgages . This figure is very low and very worrying if you consider that about 80 % of them were people employed in the financial services sector .
Finscope 2015 indicates that only about 1.03 % of the Kenyan population above 18 years have ever taken up a mortgage financing . The statistics paints a very grim picture if you consider that only 0.01 % of the current adult population have taken up mortgage loans .
Mortgage Usage / Uptake in Kenya
Currently Have |
0.01 % |
Used to Have |
1.03 % |
Never Had |
98.40 % |
Total 100 %
Source : FSDK Financial Inclusion Survey 2015
Many have also categorized the middle class as car owners but we found out that 68 % of the middle-class households did not own a car . They depend on public transport . The hinterland of Africa is dotted with a very informal transport sector : from Lagos ’ the Danfo buses , Kenya ’ s colourful and reckless Matatus , to Tanzania ’ s smoky Daladalas , and the ubiquitous Chinese motorcycle taxis in most African cities .
Motor Vehicle Population in Nigeria , Kenya and Ethiopia
The image of a very comfortable lifestyle of abundance and wanton consumerism has been associated with the middle class . Our survey found this belief to be wrong . The middle class in Africa struggles and only a segment of them enjoy a life of abundance .
Compared to 2 decades ago we have more Africans with access to Water and electricity and they constitute only 42 % of the middle class . The rest could be having access to a reliable source of water but not necessarily running water in the house .
Regardless of their abodes the middle class own many modern appliances . They own phones , electric kettles , CRT TVs , Electric Irons , Fridges / Freezers , Electric / gas cooking stoves .
However , this does not mean that they don ’ t use traditional cooking methods . Our study found that in Abidjan , Kano , Doula , Lagos , Nairobi or Dar es Salaam the middle uses other traditional sources of energy and kitchens .
The coffee in Addis Ababa will be
Indicator Unit Ethiopia Kenya Nigeria
Fleet Size |
587,400 |
1,300,000 |
3,590,000 |
Sales of New Vehicle pa |
18,000 |
19,523 |
26,400 |
Commercial Vehicle ( New Sales ) |
16 |
86 |
29 |
Passengers Vehicle ( New Sales ) |
84 |
14 |
71 |
New Vehicles |
15 |
20 |
10 |
Second Hand Vehicles |
85 |
80 |
90 |
Motorization Per 1000 |
2 |
28 |
20 |
Total 998 908 90
Mortgage Uptake Data according to
Source : Deloitte Africa Motor Insight 2015
The middle class does not necessarily own the houses they live in around most cities . Yes , it is imperative that most of them invest in owning their own homes . It was also interesting to observe that the investment in homes means buying land , getting involved in the actual design , and construction of houses . Only 48 % of the middle class own houses , with the rest renting their living quarters . They live in houses , flats , single rooms and remarkably shacks . brewed traditionally on a traditional fire . Certain food items will only be cooked on an authentic African hearth .
Middle class is an urban phenomenon . This could be qualified by the fact that most of these people live in cities or urban centres in Africa . Since the first time our ancestors interacted with the western civilization , some have fallaciously thought of the middle class as less traditional than their rural counterparts .
This study confirmed the converse of this belief . The middle class in Africa are traditional and they respect their culture . They live in cosmopolitan centres but they are stuck to aspects of their traditions . They still believe in dowry , African
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