Across Africa, unemployment is high, the informal economy is massive, and millions of people are
fighting every day to make a living. But what happens when the person competing for that same customer, that same shop space or that same small business opportunity is another African from a neighbouring country. Kenya is now tightening the rules around foreign participation in small-scale trade, arguing that citizens must be protected from unfair competition. But critics warn that economic frustration can quickly become xenophobia.