They are thought to be similar in language and culture to the neighboring Sissala. Burkina Faso is home to approximately 80 distinct ethnic groups. The Kolsi represent only a tiny fraction of the population. Their economy is based on farming, with households producing and consuming their own food. Their primary crops include millet, yams, peanuts, rice, and beans.
Women care for the household gardens, growing okra, onions, tomatoes, and red peppers.
Farming is supplemented by the gathering of nuts and wild fruits, fishing in the rivers, and hunting. Also, animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens are raised. The Kolsi feel that being poor is a reflection on the entire kinship group as well as on the individual. Therefore, the whole household shares in the work duties. The elder men supervise and control the production and consumption of crops, while the younger men do the heavy farm work, such as clearing the land and tilling.