Dynamics of Small-Scale Informal Industries: The Evolution of the Artisanal Stone Crushing Industry along Alick Nkhata Road in Kalingalinga Township, Lusaka, Zambia.

Abstract

Stone crushing has grown as a source of income for men, women and children in Zambia. The spike in unemployment and elevated levels of poverty have given rise to stone crushing as a profession. Artisanal stone crushing is a thriving economic activity especially in peri-urban areas of Lusaka, including Kalingalinga Township. This is because more than half of the people in these areas, especially women, live in poverty, earning less than $1 per day. Although a lot has been written about the socio-economic and environmental effects of this industry, little has been written about the dynamic characteristic of the industry in the country. The study is a qualitative case study which used desk review and interviews to examine the dynamics of the small-scale stone crushing industry in Kalingalinga area of Lusaka, particularly in recent times when the area has seen a lot of structural changes. The article focuses on factors involved in expansion, decline and/or disappearance of the enterprises and the role that gender plays in the industry.