From the Margins to the Market: Lessons on investing in displacement-affected communities

Photo courtesy of Omia Agribusiness Development Group, Ltd.

Displacement is a defining feature of frontier markets today. Conflict, climate change, and economic instability are reshaping where and how people live and work. Forcibly displaced people (FDPs) are workers, consumers, and entrepreneurs representing a significant but under-appreciated economic force. Yet they face a number of structural constraints: restrictive policies, lack of access to finance, and social stigmatization. The question for investors and donors becomes: Are your strategies equipped to engage this reality — and this opportunity — proactively and effectively?

This report draws on Open Capital’s market-building work across East Africa and Acumen’s investment experience, informed by interviews with founders, customers, investors, donors, and technical partners, and a 60 Decibels survey of seven companies. We offer this perspective as practitioners who have invested capital, learned from failures, and seen what is possible when the right capital meets the right conditions.