At the bustling market of Médine in Bamako, Mali, you’ll find Adama Konaté peddling imported bicycles from France, the US, England, Canada, and China. But he doesn’t just stop at selling two-wheeled vehicles – he also offers repair services and customizes new bike frames.

Beyond bicycles, Konaté sells a variety of other items, including vehicle accessories and even farm equipment, all on the same vibrant market grounds known as ‘Diguèbakonona’. It’s not uncommon to find rare agricultural tools that are hard to come by elsewhere in Bamako.

His neighbor, Drissa Traoré, is an artisan who crafts a range of products, from stoves and wedding dresses to coffee grinders made on-site. After a year of working at the market, Traoré reports a significant improvement in his earnings and credits it all to the market’s success.

For Fousseyni Sangaré, an equipment seller specializing in agricultural gear, each rainy season brings new customers looking for tools like charruses, dabas, and other workhorse accessories. However, he notes that this year’s challenges include transporting goods due to security concerns in certain regions, mostly stemming from the hydrocarbon crisis.

Adama Konaté, another bike vendor, has been in the business for 27 years, offering a diverse range of bikes with varying price points based on features. He attributes the market’s current boom to the ongoing energy crisis, which has led to an influx of customers seeking alternative solutions.