Somali Business: The All Consuming

Businesses are essential in life for being the backbone of the nation’s economy. After the collapse of Siyad Barre’s administration, Somali businesses created a mass number of employment opportunities and represented the most uninterrupted source of income for a large number of the population and helped the recovery of population’s living standard after every fall and breakdown.

Also, businesses in big cities such as Mogadishu covered basic needs of the community such as food, water, electricity, telecommunication and transportation. Businesses’ wealth contributed in saving hundreds from hunger not only in the way they donated more money to the needy but every businessman took care of his family and relatives and helped them survive.

Whilst, the country was in the most troublesome situations businesses remained in function to overcome every challenge and worked through wars and the risky situations that accompanied it. For some cases, local businesses were exposed to robbery and they were forced to hire heavily armed security personnel to help them protect their assets, premises and facilities. Or in another cases, businessman from a certain region cannot beat other businesses in market competition in another regions other than his origin. Other times, there were no regulations or ‘Rule of Game’ in the market. Market competitions scenarios sometimes ended in gun fights, where the survivor is decided by who’s got the most armed militia in the territory under operations not determined by rules of supply and demand or competitive advantages.

When Somalis do business abroad they face difficulties that hinder their operations. Business centers are robbed and employees or owners killed in the process. There is no well-functioning government that can protect citizen’s business interests in foreign soils. So we see what happens in South Africa.

In addition to that, outlaw situations helped to the rise of selfish business syndicates and cartels that have the control of the most economic activities in the nation. These outlaw business tycoons did everything to make them generate the most amounts of profits. They traded and still trade poor quality goods, uncensored medical products and other goods that have unhealthy impact on the consumers. What they have in mind is to minimize all costs and maximize profits.

There are several opportunities for businesses in Somalia. First, the availability of certain unsaturated niche markets that businesses can work on, while the number of untapped opportunities in every market is endless. More needs of the community still needed to be satisfied. With a burning desire and creativity business people can capitalize on that opportunities and make a lot of money. Another opportunity is the availability of all human resources that every business needed at a considerably low cost.

The New Direction for Somali Business

With all opportunities of Diaspora investment available, local business people do business in a disorganized manner. Most businesses intend on selling finished goods imported from other countries. There are a large number of products that we can produce here at our home. Installing small-scale industries is something our businesses can do. In other words, businesses must try to import more capital goods than consumer goods that will contribute in the production of other commodities. These will help the local people get more jobs and producing what covers the local needs at lower costs and also increases the export income of the nation. As we always pay a lot to foreigners, this will give us a chance that they will pay back something to us.

In the purchasing power of the Somali community there is a great component of remittance, the billions of dollars that are transferred every year from abroad help a lot of families in Somalia to live and do business.

There is a reality that this remittance money will dry up someday as old Somali generations who lived abroad turn out to be retired and replaced by young migrants who was born in the West or went there at a young age and bred with Western individualist ideologies. Their father and mother were the access point to their country of origin and relatives. Once they are dead, the connection fails automatically since they do not have another reason to connect with.

Moreover, there are certain requirements when businesses intend to go on making a giant leap in production and industrialization that our businesses today, if they have the desire can afford. These are as follows: 

- Raw materials 

- Human Capital 

- Game-plan 

- Initial Investment 

So, local businesses should consider investing in the agricultural, livestock and fishery sectors. With the help of the local money we can improve the economy of the country. Farmers, livestock breeders and fishers need investment funds from our businesses to run their business production operations. What they produce should cover the local needs and can be part of the country’s export business, or can create raw materials for urban industries. When all these are achieved they will build motives for increased long-run productions and improved life-standards.

Finally, business should behave as stake-holders in the country by considering what the society needs not only their sole bottomline. Also, businesses can help government rebuild the country by paying taxes or supporting in the rehabilitation of basic infrastructures.

By: Hassan Abdi Hassan