Indigenous Knowledge and Entrepreneurial Innovation Among Pygmy Communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Pygmy communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)—including the Aka, Baka, Mbuti, and Twa peoples—possess some of the most sophisticated ecological knowledge systems in the world. Rooted in forest-based cosmologies, their economic practices combine subsistence, trade, and cultural preservation. Yet, these contributions are systematically undervalued in policy and scholarship, often excluded from dominant definitions of entrepreneurship. Drawing on published ethnographic accounts, development reports, and scholarly analyses, this paper examines how Pygmy communities engage in entrepreneurial activities that embody cultural resilience, ecological stewardship, and social reciprocity. Using a desk-based synthesis of over 50 sources, the study introduces two original evaluative tools—the Systemic Coherence Index and the Ethical Intelligence Rating —to assess Indigenous entrepreneurship beyond Eurocentric economic metrics. It argues that recognising and supporting these models is essential for sustainable development, epistemic justice, and the decolonisation of economic policy in Africa.