Africa is a beehive of economic activity. Look around your own town or village and there is business going on everywhere. People selling second-hand clothes at the market or running a kiosk selling mobile phone cards, drinks or snacks.

On the other hand, there is a downside to business in this so-called "informal sector". The people working there are faced with irregular incomes, they have no health insurance, not to mention a pension scheme for old age.

Learning by Ear's new series about the economy introduces you to two youngsters who decide to make it big in the world of business. John and Jane, two 16-year-old siblings, have lost their mother and divide their time between their father and their maternal grandmother. One day, during school holidays, they decide it's time for them to start their own business. Follow them on the route to economic success and find out about the obstacles they encounter on the way.

Learning by Ear is available in six languages: English, Kiswahili, French, Hausa, Portuguese and Amharic. It is supported by Germany’s Federal Foreign Office.