Treasure hunting at the vast Addis Merkato
Addis Merkato is Africa's biggest outdoor market. Coffee, spices, donkeys and a few peculiarities – it seems anything can be bought or sold at the site in the Ethiopian capital.
Addis Merkato open market in Ethiopia
The music of the market's name does justice to the buzz one feels when walking through its streets. Africa's biggest open market is the pride of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. Established during the Italian occupation in the 1930s, the place feels truly Ethiopian: filled with contrasts of smells, items, colors – and personalities.
“Merkato indigeno”
The market was conceived by the Italians who occupied Ethiopia after the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1935. Addis Ababa was already the commercial center of the country since the end of the 19th century, and the Italians wanted to further consolidate this centralized trade topography. They replaced the pre-war market, today's Piazza area, with what they called the 'Merkato indigeno.'
Italy's push for a commercial hub
The Italians wanted to destroy the dominant expatriate mercantile class in favor of state monopoly on trade. Local ethnic Gurage traders especially, who were already involved in caravan trade, challenged the Yemenite Arabs who were dominating the retail trade. Today, Addis Merkato, also called Addis Ketema, continues to be a national business hub.
A town within the city
Anything from food and drinks to chairs, saws, shoes, blankets or stoves can be found at Merkato. It is home to 7,100 businesses who employ around 13,000 people. This is not counting the thousands of informal stands which constitute an entire parallel economy within the market. Addis Merkoto appears to be a small city within the city.
Ethiopian coffee at its best
Being a true microcosm of the Ethiopian economy, Merkato has a wide range of coffee bean stalls. Coffee constitutes the country's leading export (around $1 billion per year) and is internationally known for its quality. Recent months have seen an unprecedented slump in coffee coffee prices, with small-scale farmers now earning an estimated 1 cent per cup of coffee.
A trendy psychotropic leaf
An entire street in the Merkato is dedicated to khat, a popular psychotropic leaf chewed for its stimulating effects. It also constitutes one of Ethiopia's main exports. Although khat can have harmful health effects, its economic benefits have kept it legal. While khat was traditionally chewed by Muslims during Ramadan, its use has spread exponentially in recent years.
Spice it up
Spices form an important section of the market, as they do in Ethiopian dishes. Customers select the best ones through touch and, more importantly, smell. These spices are later mixed into the various “wet” sauces that are consumed with traditional injera bread.
Of donkeys and men
Ethiopia is home to about eight million donkeys, which are a favorite pack animal. They are a common feature of Merkato. When donkeys are old or injured, some are taken to the outskirts of the cities where they are left to die. Although sensitization programs have seen the light to improve the way donkeys are treated, there is still a long way to go.
Mountains to recycle
While trash management and recycling has still a long way to go in Ethiopia, the economy of informal recycling is booming in Merkato. More for economic than environmental reasons – enormous piles of plastic containers, bags and packaging are collected and stacked to be sold again.