Dr Fredah Mwiti
Associate Professor in Marketing
Fredah Mwiti is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Sussex with a PhD in Consumer Behaviour. Her research focuses on poverty, gender inequality, and sustainable development in developing countries, using ethnographic methods. She also explores digital entrepreneurship among youth.
BIO
Fredah Mwiti is an Associate Professor in Marketing (Strategy and Marketing) at the University of Sussex Business School, United Kingdom. She previously served as Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Kent (2017–2024) and as Marketing Lecturer at the University of Birmingham (2013–2017).
Her research focuses on consumer behaviour in subsistence marketplaces, exploring coping mechanisms under poverty, gendered constraints, and the role of frugal innovation and youth digital entrepreneurship within the creative economy. Her work has been published in leading journals such as the *International Marketing Review*, *European Journal of Operational Research*, and *Economic & Industrial Democracy*.
Fredah holds a PhD in Consumer Behaviour (Marketing) from Lancaster University. She is fluent in English and Swahili and aligns her research interests with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly No Poverty, Reduced Inequalities, and Gender Equality.
Sustainble Development Goals
- 1 No Poverty
- 10 Reduced Inequalities
- 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
- 2 Zero Hunger
- 3 Good Health and Well Being
- 5 Gender Equality
Degrees
- PhD in Marketing (Consumer Behaviour) — Lancaster University, United Kingdom (2009 – 2013)
Specialisations
- Consumer behaviour in subsistence marketplaces
- Frugal innovation and creative economy
- Gendered consumption and poverty coping strategies
- Youth digital entrepreneurship
- Qualitative and ethnographic research methods
Teaching and Academic Roles
- Associate Professor in Marketing (Strategy and Marketing), University of Sussex (2024–Present)
- Lecturer in Marketing, University of Kent (2017–2024)
- Marketing Lecturer, University of Birmingham (2013–2017)
Research Funding
- Research and data analysis
- Higher education lecturing
- Qualitative and ethnographic analysis
Specialisations
- Associate Professor in Marketing (Strategy and Marketing), University of Sussex Business School — 2024–present
Research on consumer behaviour in subsistence marketplaces. Teach and supervise UG/PG students. School service. - Lecturer in Marketing, University of Kent — 2017–2024
Taught marketing strategy and consumer behaviour. Supervised projects and dissertations. Continued research output. - Marketing Lecturer, University of Birmingham — 2013–2017
Delivered undergraduate and postgraduate marketing modules. Supported curriculum and student advising.
Fredah’s research centres on consumer behaviour in subsistence marketplaces. Using ethnographic and other qualitative methods, she examines how people navigate poverty, gender inequality and related constraints; the coping strategies they adopt; and how community and market initiatives—particularly frugal innovation—help address these challenges. Her work aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially gender equality, poverty reduction, health and food security. Through an intersectional lens, she analyses how ethnicity, race, gender, social class and wider socio-historical factors shape access to food, healthcare, energy and technology in different contexts. Alongside this programme, Fredah is advancing studies on digital entrepreneurship among young people in developing countries and has recently developed an interest in the creative economy
