Rethinking microentrepreneurship: Bricolage and resilience among Goroers in Accra's informal economy

Entrepreneurship is widely recognised as a pathway to alleviating global inequality and poverty. Yet mainstream literature often overlooks the survival-driven entrepreneurial practices of people in poor and developing regions, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. Microbusinesses in these contexts are frequently excluded from general entrepreneurship surveys or relegated to an ‘other’ category, limiting understanding of their unique contributions.This study contributes to the entrepreneurship-as-practice movement by examining Goroers’ everyday activities through the lens of entrepreneurial bricolage. It challenges the conventional focus on high-growth firms, showing how microentrepreneurship in Accra is shaped by social values, political realities, and cultural identity. Using a processual ontology, performative epistemology, and case-study method, the research explores how resource constraints continually reshape entrepreneurial processes and how bricolage enables entrepreneurs at society’s margins to navigate these challenges.Data was collected from 20 microentrepreneurs (Goroers) and 15 key informants in Accra through in-depth interviews, observations, and reflective practices. Thematic analysis revealed that despite structural challenges, such as unemployment, income inequality, and inadequate infrastructure, entrepreneurship persists. These obstacles often propel the emergence of Goroing as a series of adaptive strategies in a context of resource constraints. The study shows how Goroers mobilise resources through spatio-temporal bricolaging, enforceable trust, bounded solidarity, mentorship, diversification, and continuous learning. Beyond structural challenges, Goroers also face hostile discourses and systemic neglect, including negative portrayals, infrastructural deficiencies, and recurrent evictions, which destabilise their work and shape both public image and self-identity. Yet, Goroing fosters individual empowerment, economic inclusion, and community resilience. From these insights, the study develops a heuristic for understanding microentrepreneuring in sub-Saharan Africa, demonstrating that such practices not only support survival but also contribute to broader economic and social stability in Accra.