Economy

The primary industry in Kalongo is agriculture, with a number of small commercial farms and subsistence farms growing produce for sale in local markets.

There are also a number of small shops selling a range of household products in the high street.

There is a small service sector which includes a bank and a small petrol station.

Kalongo has a growing number of guest houses including the:

Green Oasis Guest House

Development

Phone masts have now been introduced to Kalongo so mobile connectivity is available.

Water and Electricity have now been introduced to the town and more and more homes are being connected to these supplies.

Banking

Though there are commercial banking services in Kalongo Town, the majority of the population do not have personal accounts. Instead, they save locally in what is termed “bol li cuup” a village savings and loan association (VSLA).

This is a microfinance set up that brings together individuals with common interests into groups where they remit their savings on a weekly or monthly basis starting at the beginning (January) to the end of the year (December).

This mechanism allows members to borrow at low-interest rates that would eventually add up as dividends on top of the savings.