Context is everything.

Insight #1 in our series on Community Economy Development

Why do individual success stories so rarely add up to a stronger community economy? The answer starts with something we almost skipped past: understanding a community isn't a step before the work begins. It's the work itself.

Economic development has long focused on entrepreneurs and businesses, yet individual outcomes rarely add up to community prosperity. Drawing on a decade of work in South Africa and Kenya, this article treats the economy as a social practice and shows how Community Economy Development surfaces knowledge, coordinates activity, and anchors change within the community.