#4 GG Alcock - how the informal economy can disrupt the formal economy, how humans are not dots and slashes and how we are incentivised to be successful not brave

04/02/2024 1h 11min

Listen "#4 GG Alcock - how the informal economy can disrupt the formal economy, how humans are not dots and slashes and how we are incentivised to be successful not brave"

Episode Synopsis

South African GG Alcock has made it his life's mission to help people understand how informal economies work and to relieve you of the prejudices and stereotypes you may harbour about this sector.As somebody who has a foot each in the informal and the formal economy, and because of his unique upbringing and 'first-person' understanding of Zulu culture in South Africa, he is in a unique position to be a messenger on both, to both sides.The conversation covers a wide range of topics, and includes his thoughts on the misunderstood stigma of South Africa being the most unequal country in the world, what the biggest import - hair extensions! - tells us about the SA economy, why families from other countries seem to dominate the spaza (small grocery store) sector, and how rich township business owners would rather go cashless and pay tax, than bear the risk of storing and carrying millions of rands, in cash.Visit GG's AfricanOptimist guest page for his bio, show notes, transcripts and more or africanoptimist.co.za to sign up for the AO newsletter.

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