Livelihood diversification continues to be the norm rather than the exception globally. This means that, to be successful, livelihood support interventions need to consider households’ decisions in terms of the distribution of labour, time and risk management strategies. The main message of this policy brief is that, at similar levels of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and of agricultural value-added in GDP, rural households in sub-Saharan African countries show greater specialization in on-farm activities and lower participation in non-agricultural wage employment. Therefore, for African households to shift to opportunity-led pathways, there is urgent need to boost social protection and invest in education, while enhancing the agricultural productivity of small-scale producers and value addition.