From Displacement to Opportunity: Refugee Entrepreneurs Rebuilding Markets in South Sudan
By Denilson Deneki
In the Juba markets, where traders shout prices over the noise of motorcycles and bustling crowds, thousands of displaced people are quietly rebuilding their lives through small businesses.
Among them is Najuwa Hamad Bujun, a Sudanese nurse forced to flee conflict in Sudan with her children. Arriving in South Sudan with uncertainty and limited resources, she started a small Sudanese restaurant to survive. Today, her business has grown beyond a simple food stall.
After receiving entrepreneurship training and support from Inkomoko South Sudan’s country office, Najuwa expanded into food delivery services and groundnut oil production, creating jobs for 12 women from refugee and host communities.
But her journey has not been easy. In late 2025, a devastating fire swept through Customs Market in Juba, destroying her restaurant and leaving many traders with losses. For many displaced entrepreneurs, such shocks often mean starting from zero again. Yet, Najuwa chose to rebuild.
Her story reflects a growing reality across South Sudan: displaced communities are not only seeking humanitarian assistance but are increasingly becoming part of the country’s economic recovery.
As conflict and economic instability persist in the Horn of Africa, South Sudan hosts thousands of displaced people and refugees fleeing violence in neighboring Sudan. While humanitarian support remains crucial, organizations and private sector actors are shifting their focus toward long-term economic inclusion.
A significant milestone was when South Sudan recorded its first bank account opened using a refugee identification document, allowing refugees access to mobile money, banking services, and digital transactions for the first time. This move opened new opportunities not only for displaced people but also for financial institutions and telecom companies expanding into underserved communities.
Companies such as MTN South Sudan, Equity Group Holdings, and Afriland First Bank are increasingly extending services into refugee-hosting areas, recognizing the rising demand for mobile money, agency banking, and financial inclusion. According to Inkomoko, the organization has supported around 5,000 entrepreneurs in South Sudan over two years, including women-led and youth-led businesses. The initiative has contributed to the creation of more than 1,000 jobs.
William Ngabonziza, Managing Director of Inkomoko South Sudan, states that economic opportunity is becoming a vital pathway toward stability for displacement-affected communities.
“When people can earn, save, borrow, trade, and build businesses, they are rebuilding stability for themselves and their communities,” he said.
Across refugee settlements and urban areas, displaced entrepreneurs are increasingly becoming traders, food vendors, transport operators, tailors, and digital money agents—helping local economies function despite challenging conditions.
For many young people displaced by conflict and economic hardship, entrepreneurship has become both a means of survival and a source of hope.
Experts emphasize that stronger partnerships between humanitarian organizations, governments, banks, and private companies are essential to expanding economic opportunities in displacement-affected communities. These include:
- Expanding mobile money services in underserved areas
- Promoting agency banking using refugee identification
- Supporting refugee-led businesses in supply chains
- Improving market access for women and youth entrepreneurs
- Providing skills development and financial literacy programs
Advocates argue that investing in refugee and host-community markets can reduce dependency on aid while strengthening social cohesion and resilience.
Ahead of World Refugee Day, calls are growing for the private sector to view displaced communities not just through the lens of crisis but as sources of opportunity and resilience.
For entrepreneurs like Najuwa, rebuilding after displacement is about more than income—it’s about restoring dignity, fostering a sense of belonging, and building a hopeful future despite uncertainty.
