Many people in Malawi are entrepreneurs, which means they create their own jobs and work for themselves. One common type of business to start is a car wash. But car wash entrepreneurs need to consider the natural resources available to them because it would be hard to run a successful car wash without water! For this reason, on roads near streams or rivers, you will often see many car wash businesses. Employees can easily fill buckets from these natural water sources and have an endless supply for washing vehicles. Can you think of any other kinds of businesses entrepreneurs might start?
Another example of a natural resource here is Lake Malawi, which runs along much of the eastern border or the country. Lake Malawi contributes to the economy because it is home to several types of edible fish, which fishermen catch and sell. Many people in Malawi do not have electricity, so fishermen know they can’t only sell fresh or frozen fish, since those would spoil quickly without refrigerators or freezers to keep them fresh. This creates another economic opportunity for entrepreneurs: drying fish. Fish driers buy fish from the fishermen and lay them on nets in the sun for hours and hours until they are dried. Once dried, the fish will keep for weeks or even months!
