Merkato: Africa’s Largest Open-Air Market

Early in June, the Americans, a term that has come to refer to us summer interns in the office, conducted surveys in Merkato – one of Africa’s largest open-air markets.

For those familiar with its streets, Merkato is a place that evokes strong sentiments. It’s rather simple: you either love the place or have a strong disdain for it, and more than likely it’s the latter. The renowned Ethiopian poet laureate Tsegaye Gebre-Medhin’s poem Ay Merkato describes its hectic scenes and direct contradictions – bargains and rip-offs, slums that provide for all, and pushing and shoving between crowds of people and livestock.

Fortunately, I happen to be one of the market’s few fans. My fellow intern Emmanuel on the other hand, had never been to Merkato, and felt a little nervous about our assigned task after hearing classic stories of Merkato’s theft problem and messiness. When Emmanuel told his grandmother about our scheduled trip, she told him straight up, “Don’t go. They’ll take the glasses off your face.” Despite the horror stories, Emmanuel was pleasantly surprised with our Merkato experience.

Located in the Addis Ketema district of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, today’s infamous Merkato was first established in the 1930s after invading Italians forced local vendors to move from their original locations. The market has grown over the years into an amorphous entity where thousands gather to exchange an assortment of commodities. From chickens and spices to fabric and refrigerators, Merkato has it all.

Like the rest of Addis Ababa, Merkato is quickly expanding and shifting. Although much of the Merkato described in Gebre-Medhin’s poem remains accurate, Africa’s largest open-air market has seen many changes in recent years. Stores that use to be a series of rickety, temporary shelters have transitioned into a conglomerate of the old structures and new high-rise buildings. The move was largely triggered after an accidental fire in 2013 exposed the great risk of the market’s closely packed shops and flammable items. Since then, many things have been changing.

Gigi, owner of Addis’ well known Effoi Pizza chain and newcomer to the Merkato scene, expressed his excitement about the market’s recent changes and the opening of his new storefront: “There’s a movement happening within Merkato. The older generation is moving out and we’re moving in.”

Parking in the area is increasingly difficult to find. People working the market are inconvenienced by having to leave the area for lunch, so the new Effoi Merkato location offers an alternative – order in, and Effoi bike riders will effectively navigate the market’s hectic streets to hand deliver pizza.

For Gigi, opening Effoi Merkato makes sense from a business perspective, but he also has an uncommon fondness of the place. He loves Merkato for the same reasons people hate it: “It’s messy, but that’s life.” Effoi’s move to Merkato is not about the money;it’s more about the social fabric of the place. Storeowners are like family.

With millions of birr being exchanged here Monday through Saturday, Merkato has come to play an important role in the country’s socioeconomic development. This ever changing, but ever present market will remain an integral part of Addis Ababa for years to come.