Colonial Distortion of the Volta River Salt Trade

Abstract

Contrary to textbook stereotypes, many traditional productive industries in Africa did survive the colonial era. Anyone travelling or researching in rural sub-Saharan Africa today sees the variety of locally produced goods such as pots, cloth, shoes, charcoal, tools, and spirits that are available in market places, though they are invariably displayed side-by-side with imported manufactured goods such as gaudy-flowered metal basins, see-through shirts, plastic shoes, Chinese flashlights and French brandy. This observation raises a number of questions, however. If local industries have survived, is it because of or despite colonial policies? In what form do traditional industries survive and what characteristics bode