This paper examines the issue of spatial poverty traps with particular reference to offroad areas in sub-Saharan Africa. I define ‘off-road’ as areas located away from a paved (or good gravel) road which, for at least part of the year, are inaccessible or accessible only with difficulty by motorised transport. My focus in this paper is on people who live off-road in rural areas which have some limited – albeit basic – transport infrastructure (i.e. a regional paved road network along which motorised vehicles operate), rather on very remote areas without any transport infrastructure.