Economic Context

Economically, Dschang is highly outward-oriented, like the rest of the country. Most goods sold in markets and shops are imported. The city is also particularly inflation-prone.

Economic actors often adopt short-term, individualistic behaviors that undermine collective well-being. For example, when fuel prices increased by 50 FCFA per liter, moto-taxi drivers increased fares by the same amount—despite a single trip consuming only a fraction of a liter.

As moto-taxis transport agricultural goods from rural areas, market vendors raised food prices accordingly, adding their own margins. Step by step, disproportionate inflation spreads across all goods and services.

Each actor believes they are merely “surviving,” without recognizing how their individual decisions contribute to systemic economic distress.

The erosion of traditional values has encouraged predatory ultra-capitalist behaviors, where the individual—once at the service of the community—now competes against it.

Corruption, lack of regulation, and increasing inequality further deepen the economic divide. Meanwhile, remittances from the diaspora play a critical role in sustaining household incomes.