Food inflation in Africa is shrinking portions
Cash-strapped consumers cannot pay more, so get less instead
At his stall in Kisumu, western Kenya, Walter Otieno plops balls of dough into a fizzing pan. After a minute or two the encrusted orbs, known as mandazi, are ready for sale. But his customers may not feel as full as they once did. Mr Otieno has halved the size of his “African doughnuts”, as the snack is also called, which he sells for ten Kenyan shillings (about eight US cents) each.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “The parable of the African doughnut”
From the November 19th 2022 edition
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