Mind Your Business or Mining Business? Indigenous Entrepreneurship in the Copperbelt Province Zambia

This chapter examines indigenous entrepreneurship formations in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. The objectives are: (1) to unravel the emergence of indigenous entrepreneurship; (2) to examine the role of social capital/networks/institutions for indigenous entrepreneurial firms in accessing markets; (3) to determine the motivations and; (4) to investigate the sources of finance for indigenous entrepreneurs. A mixed methods approach was adopted for the generation of primary and secondary data. Three cases were used in the study. The key findings discussed are: first, the emergence of indigenous entrepreneurship in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia can be traced to colonisation, nationalisation and privatisation. Second, indigenous entrepreneurs use formal and informal networks to access markets. Third, the factors motivating indigenous entrepreneurship formations include the ability for the entrepreneurs to: survive; provide for their families; improve their living conditions and make profit. Lastly, indigenous entrepreneurs raise funds for business using different sources including family, friends, loans, gifts, “ichilimba” and village banking. The findings are vital because they can help practitioners and policymakers become more helpful in assisting indigenous entrepreneurship development initiatives. Further, this chapter advances indigenous knowledge and practices as well as builds on the colonial/neo-colonial literature in management studies and entrepreneurship.