Covid-19 in Madagascar: a creativity fair to help small businesses
For four days, the Voatra creativity fair puts Malagasy small and micro-enterprises in the spotlight.
© Laetitia Bezain / RFI
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
In Madagascar, a creativity fair to support small businesses ends after the economic slowdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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With our correspondent in Antananarivo,
Laetitia Bezain
From November 25 to 28, the Antananarivo Chamber of Commerce and Industry brought together mostly rural companies in the center of the capital.
Crafts, delicatessen, cosmetics or even clothing manufacturing: these companies do not lack know-how but often find it difficult to make themselves known.
The Boeny farm, in north-western Madagascar, has been cultivating sweet potatoes, heirloom tomatoes and bambara peas for 70 years.
On its stand, this small family business presents jams, candied fruit and dried vegetables.
This transformation activity was launched a few months ago, explains Holinavalona Rajaonarivelo, the manager: “
We had just launched this activity when the Covid-19 crisis arrived.
With the confinement, we could no longer source our supplies, nor make our deliveries.
Now it is slowly picking up.
But as a rural business, our work is still underestimated by some clients.
Since we are in the countryside, they think our products must be cheap when they have a lot of requirements.
But here, with the connection between companies, we can find suppliers and potential distributors.
"
Made in Madagascar
Since the start of the economic crisis caused by Covid-19
and the closing of borders, customers have nonetheless turned more and more to Madagascan manufacturing, remarks Lucas, 33, at the head of a micro-business. who makes, among other things, sandals and handbags:
“
People are much more aware at the moment of the positive economic impact of buying local and I have discovered that even with local materials, without importing, we can get by.
"
About forty small and micro-businesses, originating from Analamanga, the capital region, but also from Bongolava or Itasy, in the west, made the trip.
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Also to listen
: Madagascar: the economic consequences of Covid-19
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Madagascar
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Arts and crafts
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Coronavirus
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