Niti Bhan studies business strategy for Africa's informal markets: the small shops and stands, skilled craftspeople and laborers who are the invisible engine that keeps the continent's economy running. It's tempting to think of these workers as tax-dodgers, even criminals -- but Bhan makes the case that this booming segment of the economy is legitimate and worthy of investment. "These are the fertile seeds of businesses and enterprises," Bhan says. "Can we start by recognizing these skills and occupations?"

Niti Bhan: The hidden opportunities of the informal economy

The hidden opportunities of the informal economy

Africa's informal sector, growing jobs at four times the rate of the formal economy, is an unrecognized driver of GDP growth.

Teresia, a trader under a tree, challenges stereotypes, revealing a sophisticated, unrecorded economy contributing $20,000 annually.

Recognizing the skilled occupations within the informal economy could transform it, offering a bridge to formal integration.