The Karana are what happens when the Gujarati genius for trade meets the African gift for survival. They arrived in Madagascar more than a century ago in wooden dhows—little boats that looked as though they might fall apart if a seagull sneezed. But they carried something stronger than timber: the instinct to buy cheap, sell dear, and never let a good opportunity escape un-invoiced.
Today, though Karana form less than one percent of Madagascar’s population, they control between 50 and 60 percent of the island’s economy. Political parties depend on their patronage – pre-coup and post-coup.