A bustling market emerges under a bridge in the boroughs of the Bole Michael area. Addis Abeba City Administration has launched a series of aesthetic initiatives embalmed in themes of beautification and urbanisation that have removed thousands of shops built with makeshift tents. Above a quarter of Addis Abeba's labour force is engaged in the informal economy, which while often associated with connotations of illegality, remains a sizeable employer in emerging economies across the world. Calibrating aspirations for an expanded taxable sector without severing trade relationships that inform most developing communities is a challenge faced by several African economies.