Meaning of industry
An industry is a place where raw materials like wood, mineral or clay are transformed into finished products.
Industrialisation is the process of developing different forms of industries most of which are associated with manufacturing.
Factors influencing industries
a) Availability of raw materials: Some of the raw materials are heavy and bulky and if the industry is located far away from them, then the cost of transporting them to the factory may increase the cost of the fi nal products.
b) Availability of electricity: If an industry is located without considering the source of power, it may be expensive to transport power to an already built factory.
c) Good means of transport: Well developed means of transport makes it easy to move raw materials to the factory and the fi nished products to the market.
d) Money: Money is needed for the construction of industries and to buy machinery which in most cases is very expensive. It is also needed to pay for labour costs.
e) Availability of the market: A study should be carried out about who will buy the finished products from a given industry, even before the industry is built.
f) Availability of water: Water is required for cooling machines and for cleaning factories and fi nished products.
g) Labour: Some factories need a lot of labour. Therefore, they need to be located close to the source of labour in order to reduce the cost of transporting workers to the factory.
These industries involve the processing of raw materials into fi nished products. Many of them use agricultural products as their raw materials. They are also called extractive industries.
Example of processing industries are:
These industries change raw materials into finished products that are totally different from the raw materials.
Examples are
Assembly industries put together different parts of items. The different parts are manufactured separately and sometimes imported as separate units.
For example,
metal parts of a car may be manufactured by the metal industry;
the tyres by the rubber industry while the glass panes by the glass manufacturers.
These parts together with others may then be assembled to make a motor vehicle.
Most of the assembly industries are located in main urban centres where the market for the products is readily available.
Examples of assembly industries are:
• Motor vehicles assembly
• Assembly of bicycles
• Radio assembly
• Computer assembly
• Television assembly
• Mobile phones assembly
These are the kinds of industries that provide support and fi nancial assistance to other forms of industry. Many of them are found in major urban centres where the need for such services is high. These industries are also called tertiary industries.
They include the following:
• Banking
• Teaching
• Transport
• Insurance
• Beauty salons
• Shoe repair
• Car repair
• Printing
• Re-treading tyres
• Medical professions
• Wholesale and retail shops
• Tourism; hotel and restaurant services
Benefits of industries
1. Development of industries has led to the development of trade with other countries.
2. Development of industries generates employment for the local people.
3. Industries lead to the growth of towns.
4. Industries lead to the development of infrastructure and social services in the town.
5. The development of the service industry makes it possible to transport
raw materials to the factories and also distribute manufactured goods to other parts of the country.
6. An industry, when established in a rural area, discourages rural-urban migration because instead of people moving to urban areas away from their homes, they choose to work in a nearby industry.
7. Development of an industry leads to the establishment of related industries.
For example, fruit processing or meat canning leads to the development of can
manufacture industries.
8. The establishment of an industry based on agricultural materials leads to increased production of the raw material.
10. Products of the processing industry are exported and they earn foreign exchange.
11. Generally, industries help to raise the living standards of the people both in urban and rural areas.
a) Small market due to high level of poverty.
b) Poor transport and communication links in the continent slows down the movement of goods.
c) High cost of production: Many countries tax industries heavily and raw materials are expensive.
d) Most industries in the continent produce similar goods and so competition is very stiff.
e) Competition from cheap imported goods.
f) Most countries lack money to expand and modernise industries.
g) Industrial unrest and frequent strikes by workers lead to heavy losses by the industries.
a) Industries cause air, water, soil and noise pollution.
b) Air pollution causes acid rain which is harmful to both plants and animals.
c) Water pollution kills animals and plants in the sea. It may also cause an increase in the water temperature which kills fish.
d) Industries obtain raw materials from the environment. This leads to a decrease in natural resources especially those that are non-renewable.
e) During mining, large areas of vegetation are cleared to make way for mines and roads. This may lead to desertifi cation.
f) Mining leaves behind open holes and craters on the surface which if not filled
may spoil the environment and are a danger to both animals and people.
g) If polluted water is released on the land, it destroys the fertility of the soil.
h) As minerals are extracted to provide raw materials for industries, hollows are created on the surface these fill with water when it rains and become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
i) Waste rock that is dumped after processing minerals is often left on the surface of the land destroying the beauty of the land.
j) Blasting of rocks weakens the foundations of nearby houses which are likely to collapse in future. It may also cause landslides.
Factors favouring industrial development in Kenya and South Africa been infl uenced by the following factors:
a) Availability of minerals.
b) Availability of raw materials.
c) Availability of hydro-electric power.
d) Availability of capital.
e) Improved means of transport and communication.
f) High population providing a large market.
g) Availability of readily cheap labour.
h) Government policy.
Kenya and South Africa have both benefited from industrial development in the following ways.
a) Development of industries generates employment for the local people.
b) Sale of goods produced in industries promotes trade with other countries which then promotes international understanding.
c) Development of industries has led to the development of trade with other countries.
d) Industries lead to the growth and development of towns.
e) Industries lead to the development of infrastructure and social services in the town.
f) Development of an industry has led to the establishment of related industries.
g) The establishment of an industry based on agricultural materials leads to increased production of the raw material.
h) Products of agricultural processing industry are exported and they earn foreign exchange.
i) Industries help to raise the living standards of the people both in urban and rural areas.
a) Pollution of environment. For example,water, air, soil and noise.
b) Collapse of some industries. For example, agriculture due to rural-urban migration.
c) Destruction and over exploitation of natural resources.
d) More people are displaced as room is created for the establishment of industries.
e) Increase in crime rate and degradation of culture.
f) Establishment of many industries lead to unhealthy competition in the market.
g) Destruction of the environment.
h) Increased rural- urban migration which lead to the development of slums.
i) Loss of productive agricultural land which reduces agricultural production.
These are informal small scale local industries found in many parts of Kenya. Their activities are carried out in the open-air. Some are conducted in open sheds. These industries are concentrated in urban areas because there is a large market for their goods and services.
1. They are of different sizes.
2. They rely on locally available raw materials.
3. They mainly use readily available unskilled labour.
4. The raw materials for metal items are often obtained from scrap metals some of which are taken from discarded items.
5. They do not require a lot of money to start off, although in cases, where machinery is required, small loans are available to assist the people.
Items produced by Jua Kali artisans include:
Some workers are skilled, and have undergone some formal training while others are undergoing apprenticeship training as they assist in the work.
a) To utilise locally available raw materials.
b) To produce affordable goods for the local people.
c) To provide employment for the jobless; this would improve their standards of living.
d) To reduce rural- urban migration
e) To enable the country earn foreign exchange.
f) To enable people make use of the skills that they have.
g) To save the country money on substitute imported goods.
a) It has generated employment as a means of livelihood for people who would have otherwise been unemployed. This has helped improve the standards of living of many people.
b) Since it does not require very highly skilled labour, it is able to utilise skills learnt from village polytechnics.
c) It can easily be established anywhere, even in rural areas; provided there are raw-materials and a bit of capital.
d) They put to good use scrap mental that would otherwise been unutilised.
e) They produce cheap and affordable products
f) Products are long lasting compared to some imported ones.
g) Their establishment has helped reduce rural- urban migration.
h) Some Jua kali products are exported and they earn the country foreign exchange.
a) Their products are expensive and they cannot compete favourably with other goods produced in established industries.
b) They face stiff competition from cheap imported goods.
c) They have to buy expensive licences from the government. This is diffi cult especially when they are unable to sell their items.
d) Few people in rural areas are able to buy the goods provided.
e) Poor means of transport make it expensive to transport fi nished products to the market.
f) Most artisans do not have capital required to establish a business or expand the existing ones.
g) Since they are not highly trained, they produce products of low standards.
h) Some of the businesses are set up in the open air where they are interfered with harsh weather conditions.
