PATTERNS OF URBAN SELF-EMPLOYMENT: GAKINJIRO-GISOZI PUBLIC MARKET OPERATORS IN KIGALI CITY, RWANDA

Self-employment in urban areas of Kigali represents a large share of the labour force and public market operators are part of small scale self-employed entrepreneurs that make up self-employment in Kigali. This paper aims to understand the factors that shape the entry and growth of public market operators in one of the public markets in Kigali called Gakinjiro-Gisozi and to assess if their income is enough to satisfy their household needs. Study findings suggest that family and relatives circumstances, previous employment, workplace ownership, relationship with authority and public market organisation have played the main role in shaping their entry and growth. Yet, inadequate inputs and defaults of clients as well as lack of running capital predominantly impeding their growth. The findings highlight that self-employed market operators have acquired start-up capital mainly from own savings and contributions from family relatives instead of from financial institutions loans. However, once the business was established, self-employed become potential clients of those financial institutions. This research found out that market operators earn income above national median income in the same category and a good number of them perceive that their income is good enough to meet their household’s basic needs.