upepo
Elder Lister
Once upon a time, a number of traders in East Africa figured they could help tackle the transportation deficiency in the region by introducing used bicycles. Most of them were Kenyans and Tanzanians, but both groups saw Kenya as the most preferable market due to the higher urbanization and relatively higher incomes. They sourced their bikes from Japan by the container load. Not only were these bikes cheap, they were also of impeccably good quality. Not just good quality, Japanese bikes are indestructible. What better attribute for a product destined to a continent with scarce infrastructure and where access to spare parts and repair skills could be challenging? They landed their containers and went ahead to rent warehouses from where they would be dispatching the bikes to retailers countrywide.
During the first few months, sales where sparse, but this was expected given that this was a new venture. However, as months turned into years, the sales remained a trickle. Although their rationale for introducing the bikes was right, they did not count on the barriers that contemporary societal beliefs can present. They had no idea that Kenyans view the bicycle as a transportation mode of the poor. In the cities, only a few youngsters would dare be seen on a bicycle, and these they use for leisure rather than for practical purposes. They had no idea that in rural areas, where the bicycles could have made inroads, the residents believe in black-mamba bicycles. A rural pumpkin will choose a poor-quality, Indian-made black mamba bicycle any day over a Titanium high-tech masterpiece.
In short, the dreams they had for the Kenyan market began to fizzle, as bills continued to mount. Finally, they gave up and some started to dispose their goods at throwaway prices, but still could not get rid of the bicycles easily. Others, especially the Tanzanians, shipped their cargo back home, choosing to die at home. However, a surprise was awaiting them at home. When they half-heartedly tried to dispose their merchandise in Tanzania, they witnessed a scramble they did not anticipate. What they had failed to discern right from the start is that a bicycle is a prestigious item to possess among Tanzanians. It is not exactly a sign of struggle as is the case in Kenya. Within no time, they were back in business as the uptake of the bicycles was more than encouraging. If you look keenly at any videos or pictures taken in Tanzania, you are likely to spot scrawny looking bicycles. Those are used Japanese bikes. They go for as little as 3000 shillings in Kenyan money. They are indestructible. They are the best value for money you could get in a bicycle.
What is the point of this long discourse you might ask? The lesson I am trying to convey is that the informal education that circulates within the population can have real economic ramifications. People will bypass something they need if they do not realize they need it. In countries like Thailand, every home that can afford a motorbike has one. Motorbikes are viewed as economic tools as opposed to a mode of transport. On the contrary, many people who need a motorbike in Kenya would not dare purchase one. Why? Because it is viewed as an alternative for those who wish for but cannot afford cars. The bad news is that a normal population cannot skip these developmental step-stones. You cannot figure out how to exploit a motorcycle before you do so for the bicycle. Similarly, you cannot learn how to exploit a car before you learn how to make use of a motorbike. I am talking about the group, not the individual. The society has to first learn to work with simpler technologies before it can graduate to more complex items.
During the first few months, sales where sparse, but this was expected given that this was a new venture. However, as months turned into years, the sales remained a trickle. Although their rationale for introducing the bikes was right, they did not count on the barriers that contemporary societal beliefs can present. They had no idea that Kenyans view the bicycle as a transportation mode of the poor. In the cities, only a few youngsters would dare be seen on a bicycle, and these they use for leisure rather than for practical purposes. They had no idea that in rural areas, where the bicycles could have made inroads, the residents believe in black-mamba bicycles. A rural pumpkin will choose a poor-quality, Indian-made black mamba bicycle any day over a Titanium high-tech masterpiece.
In short, the dreams they had for the Kenyan market began to fizzle, as bills continued to mount. Finally, they gave up and some started to dispose their goods at throwaway prices, but still could not get rid of the bicycles easily. Others, especially the Tanzanians, shipped their cargo back home, choosing to die at home. However, a surprise was awaiting them at home. When they half-heartedly tried to dispose their merchandise in Tanzania, they witnessed a scramble they did not anticipate. What they had failed to discern right from the start is that a bicycle is a prestigious item to possess among Tanzanians. It is not exactly a sign of struggle as is the case in Kenya. Within no time, they were back in business as the uptake of the bicycles was more than encouraging. If you look keenly at any videos or pictures taken in Tanzania, you are likely to spot scrawny looking bicycles. Those are used Japanese bikes. They go for as little as 3000 shillings in Kenyan money. They are indestructible. They are the best value for money you could get in a bicycle.
What is the point of this long discourse you might ask? The lesson I am trying to convey is that the informal education that circulates within the population can have real economic ramifications. People will bypass something they need if they do not realize they need it. In countries like Thailand, every home that can afford a motorbike has one. Motorbikes are viewed as economic tools as opposed to a mode of transport. On the contrary, many people who need a motorbike in Kenya would not dare purchase one. Why? Because it is viewed as an alternative for those who wish for but cannot afford cars. The bad news is that a normal population cannot skip these developmental step-stones. You cannot figure out how to exploit a motorcycle before you do so for the bicycle. Similarly, you cannot learn how to exploit a car before you learn how to make use of a motorbike. I am talking about the group, not the individual. The society has to first learn to work with simpler technologies before it can graduate to more complex items.
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