So social businesess are selling to the not-so-poor 'base of the pyramid' not the true bottom of the pyramid. It's obvious. But it's thought-provoking.

"Where is the BOP healthcare fortune?" by Andy Thornton in Stanford Social Innovation Review, states what we probably all already knew, but with clarity.    That social enterprises segment their markets, and they prioritise those that…

Are you someone who believes that solar power can solve the problem of getting cheap, clean energy to people living off the grid in developing countries? Do you believe that a solar lighting enterprise has great ‘inclusive business’ potential but are unsure about how to get started? If so, our latest Spotlight publication on…

Access to electricity in Malawi is less than 15% with even lower access in rural areas. Although there are plans underway to expand the existing grid, many of the people currently living in remote areas will probably not be connected to the electricity grid during their lifetime. Therefore there is a strong need for a rural electrification model that saves households on their energy expenditure, gives them more opportunities to increase income, is financially sustainable and can be installed…

Africa’s wealth lies primarily in its people – a young and growing population in search of opportunity. By enabling these individuals to engage in business, the private sector unleashes people’s potential. Inclusive businesses integrate low-income people into their value chains, thus creating opportunities for this group in a targeted way. It is our joint interest to create a better basis for communication and coordination among actors from different sectors working to support inclusive…

When I was told to write a short piece about the role of NGOs in the inclusive business field, I was a firm believer that NGOs could indeed partake of the meal being capitalized by the private sector. In researching further, I am no longer a firm believer, but neither am I a disbeliever. In reading examples over and over again, I see the partnership approach between the private sector and NGOs is really a beneficial relationship for the companies and the BoP success is a ‘byproduct’ of this…

A new issue brief (pdf, 12 pages) produced by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) looks at the opportunities for information and…