Don’t Mistake Polish for Trust.

Shopping in malls was never my default mode. Not because they didn’t exist in Ethiopia, but because they were reserved for specific things like branded goods, imported items, the occasional treat. They weren’t part of the regular shopping routine.

For most day-to-day needs, we relied on kiosks and open markets. In those traditional setups, you don’t just buy things, you build relationships. You get your people.

I had a vegetable lady. A butcher who knew exactly the kind of meat I liked. A tailor who could fix anything. A woodworker I could count on. These weren’t just suppliers; they were part of a system built on familiarity and trust.

You don’t walk into a new shop and go straight into transaction mode. It usually starts with a connection—a referral, a friend who told you about them, or even just a warm greeting. Small talk, some context, maybe a shared background. Once that’s established, you’re in.

You get better service, maybe even a seat and a drink. Prices get flexible. And with time, the treatment gets even better.

Then I moved to Kenya.

There were still open markets and neighborhood vendors, but right next to them were large, modern malls—polished, structured, and clearly segmented from the traditional. The contrast was sharp.

In malls, everything felt transactional. Get in. Buy. Get out. No conversation. No relationship. Just a swipe and go.

I could navigate both spaces, but the difference wasn’t just about infrastructure. It was about energy. Traditional markets felt easy. Familiar. Human. Malls felt clean but cold, designed for efficiency, not connection.

That’s when I paused and started to reflect. Not just as a shopper, but as someone who helps brands think about how they show up.

The basic question… What is A MARKET

Technically, a market is defined as a space for transactions. But in the African context, a market is so much more. It’s a social and economic system. A trusted network. A place where information, negotiation, and relationships move alongside goods and money. These spaces weren’t just built around commerce. They were rooted in geography, routine, and community.

Modern retail has grown across the continent, especially in major cities. But the data still confirms what many of us feel—traditional and informal markets continue to dominate. Across much of Sub-Saharan Africa, most retail transactions still happen in informal, unstructured environments. Malls and supermarkets are on the rise, but they serve a smaller, mostly urban segment of the population. More often, they signal aspiration than access.

Here’s the part I keep thinking about: the environment we buy in shapes how we sell.

If you grow up in a system where buying is about building trust, it’s hard to adopt a marketing approach that skips relationship and jumps straight to pricing and packaging.

That’s the hidden value of traditional markets. They teach patience. They teach nuance. They remind us that relationship is part of the product.

So if you’re building a brand for African consumers, it’s worth asking:

Are you showing up like a mall, or like a market? Are you focused only on structure and presentation, or are you leaving room for human connection?

Because people may admire polish.
But they trust people.

And in emerging markets, trust is still the most powerful marketing strategy you have.

Got thoughts on malls vs. markets? How do you see buying behavior shifting across Africa? Hit reply and tell me. I would love to hear it.