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The subject of entrepreneurship has generated swathes of interest from a variety of stakeholders seeking to address economic challenges in Africa. At the heart of this interest is the fact that the businesses created by entrepreneurs create employment opportunities which, in turn, have the potential to reduce poverty at all levels of African society. Yet, while research into entrepreneurial activity is well established in the developed countries of the western world, there remain large gaps in knowledge about key issues such as why entrepreneurs in Africa start businesses, how these businesses are sustained, and the specific contextual influences and challenges which affect African entrepreneurs' decision-making and behavior. In this introductory paper, we highlight the importance of attempting to understand how African entrepreneurs, working outside the strictures of strong formal institutions, navigate difficult challenges and make decisions using fragments of informal traditions originating from prevalent African philosophies such as Ubuntu. We also draw attention to the need to assess the notion of entrepreneurial business success or failure in Africa from a cultural context perspective which takes into account considerations aside from the solely rational-economic. We conclude with a series of questions which remain largely unanswered but will, we trust, be addressed in future research on entrepreneurship and Africa's cultural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reflects on conferences of the first five years of the International Academy of African Business and Development (IAABD: 2000-2004) focusing specifically on the conference proceedings. The papers presented at the five conferences and published in their proceedings were reviewed and analysed in terms of functional areas covered, the research methodologies employed, as well as the geographical spread and country focus of the authors. The analysis demonstrates a number of significant achievements for IAABD and identifies a number of challenges for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their alleged comprehensiveness and the many linkages between poverty and environment, most poverty reduction strategy papers have until now insufficiently acknowledged the importance of environmental sustainability. To tackle this shortcoming, participative processes were initiated to 'green' PRSPs (meaning the integration of environmental sustainability as a cross-cutting issue). This supposes a process approach to decision-making and implies opening up the policy process to a wide range of societal actors. This approach is conceptualised as a sustainability assessment. A descriptive analysis of the Benin PRSP-greening initiative is presented, based on interviews and on literature research. Subsequently, issues of importance in appreciating the wider impact of PRSP-greening are suggested. Besides the quality improvements of the PRSP, greening contributes to a gradual change in the way decision-making is perceived and contributes to social learning. Furthermore, it is a promising approach that contributes to the institutionalisation of environmental sustainability in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HIV disproportionately affects women in developing countries, especially in Southern Africa. Women thus stand to benefit most from a successful HIV vaccine and must participate in trials to test appropriate, gender-specific products. Several HIV vaccine efforts are currently underway in Africa. Participation in HIV vaccine trials requires that participants not only understand the complex nature of trial procedures, but that they also have autonomous decisional capacity to enroll. Given that the risk factors inherent in women's greater vulnerability constitute an intricate mix of biological. economic and social variables, will women's very vulnerability to HIV he an obstacle to ethical participation in vaccine development? This paper addresses some of the challenges underlying the successful recruitment of women into vaccine research and makes research and policy recommendations for the ethical inclusion of women in HIV vaccine trials in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of COVID-19, universities, national innovation systems (NIS) and global value chains (GVCs), this paper explores systemic barriers (trends and factors) that influence digital learning innovation (DLI) in Africa. The study used the PRISMA framework and Scopus data for a systematic literature review (SLR) and a bibliometric analysis spanning 2000–2021. It also mapped universities globally and in Africa based on Webometrics (Jan 2022) and the Global Innovation Index (Feb 2022) data using a typology. A broad SLR on digital learning extracted two African samples of 2,640 and 4,669. A narrow SLR on DLI, Innovation Systems (IS) and Innovation Barriers (IB) extracted 221 studies. The broad SLR showed that Africa (with the exception of South Africa continentally and Kenya regionally) lags globally in digital learning literature. It also identified country, affiliation (university) and funding sponsor as three possible factors that influence DLI. The narrow SLR revealed a gap in the literature on DLI – IS – IB and a low emphasis on GVCs. From the literature, this paper proposes a conceptual model spanning DLI – IS – IB and a typology of systemic barriers to inform future research. It also provides unique empirical data to inform DLI and GVC focused public policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's breakneck economic growth has been accompanied by an expanding development finance agenda. Many have hypothesized that China is undermining the West's drive to promote good governance globally, and in Africa in particular, by predominantly distributing money to poorly governed countries. This paper explores whether the determinants of Chinese development finance in Africa differ from those of Western countries. It finds that Western countries send more development finance than China to better governed African countries—those with lower corruption levels, better democratic outcomes, and a better human rights track record (though only the latter two have a negative relationship with Chinese development finance in absolute terms). This paper also finds that bilateral trade and UN voting alignment have a stronger impact on China's development finance than that of Western countries and that China allocates more development finance than the West to richer and more resource-dependent African countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, Chinese FDI has become an integral investment source for African countries and has, therefore, engendered studies seeking to understand the determinants of these flows. In a quest to identify the factors that stimulate these flows, this paper assesses whether the ease of starting a business induces Chinese FDI flow to Africa. The analysis is based on panel data for 46 African countries between 2004 and 2018. The results from fixed-effects estimations suggest that Chinese FDI is attracted by the ease of starting a business in African economies. This finding also holds for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and is robust across all estimations. The results also provide corroborating evidence that identifies Chinese FDI as market and resource-seeking, attracted to large markets and economies with abundant natural resources. The findings suggest that improving business regulations could be a stimulant for Chinese FDI flow to Africa. In evaluating the nexus between Chinese FDI and business start-ups, this paper provides new evidence to complement the dated studies on this theme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seaports and their efficiency remain essential for the success of international trade globally. Notwithstanding this outcome, there is no empirical evidence on how seaport efficiency affect trade performance in Africa. This paper presents an empirical evidence of the effects of seaport efficiency on trade performance in Africa. To do so, we use data on 33 African countries for the period 2006 to 2018 and employ the gravity model for the empirical analysis. The results show that seaport efficiency enhances trade performance in Africa; the greater the level of seaport efficiency, the larger the extent of trade performance. Based on this finding, it is recommended that policy reforms that improve the efficiency of seaports in Africa should be targeted by policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper employs the concept of multidimensional heritage to examine colonial statues in Africa since the era of independences through transnational, diachronic, and multi-thematical perspectives. Colonial statues are viewed as transnational phenomena, with a focus on the African continent, emphasising the complex and evolving connections to former colonial powers in Europe. To capture the complexity of heritage uses, which is often best comprehended over an extended period, a diachronic approach is employed, and three periods are considered: colonial statues at independence (1950s to 1980); revival of (neo)colonial statues (1990s-2000s) and renewed contestations (since the 2010s). The paper also delves into various ways in which the past is used and interpreted through colonial statues, discussing aspects such as public memory, identities, diplomacy, aid, and justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the micro-level link between migrant remittances and state legitimacy. The paper argues that there are two theoretical channels through which remittances may ultimately erode state legitimacy. First, remittance income earners may use remittance income to bribe state institutions, and thus may feel that they do not need to abide by the laws those state institutions enact. Second, remittances provide funds for political mobilization and thus may enhance uprisings against autocratic states. I test these claims using individual-level pooled data from 3 rounds of the Afrobarometer surveys. For the quantitative analysis, I use multiple linear regression, propensity score matching, and an informal method of testing for omitted variables bias. Overall, the findings of the study show that remittance-receiving Africans hold de-legitimizing behavior towards the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the importance of, and variations in, political alignment within African regimes. Political alignment is how leaders establish sufficient political support across elites: we posit that formal appointments are the primary way that leaders manipulate political coalitions in order to secure their collective authority and tenure. Appointments, individually and collectively, can take on multiple characteristics: they can create inclusive or exclusive coalitions, transactional or loyal support, volatile or stable elite networks. Appointment powers have greater salience since governments institutionalized and formalized in governance systems across democratic and autocratic states. Manipulating who holds and secures power at the subnational and national levels, rather than repressive control or state capacity, underpins the stability, security, and survival of modern African regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been increasing interest on the apparent underrepresentation of African-based scholars in economics scholarship on Africa. Much of this debate, however, proceeds with little by way of evidence in demonstrating whether such an underrepresentation actually exists in the first place. In this paper, I look at the patterns of authorship over the period 2005–2015 in 'leading' economics journals that publish regularly on Africa. I find that, on average, only 25 per cent of the journal articles published on Africa had at-least one African-based author over this period. Further, I find that whereas the journals I consider dedicate about 30 per cent of their content on Africa, only 3 per cent of their editorial boards are based on the continent. These patterns likely account for the dismal state of the discipline's knowledge about the continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the importance of national governments and national-local relationships for scaling up local climate action to achieve global goals. From the Sustainable Development Goals to the New Urban Agenda to the Paris Climate Change Agreement, the achievement of global sustainability goals will depend on deep changes to national infrastructure and urban systems. Through an analysis of climate action planning and investments in exemplary cases in Africa, the paper highlights the opportunities and challenges that come with integrating national governments into urban-focused priorities and needs, especially for mobilising financial resources. The paper finds that scaling up city climate action in the selected African countries benefits from a constructive multi-level relationship between local and national institutions and stakeholders to shape and improve the legislative, financial and operating frameworks to enable systemic change. Large-scale urban climate action can be enabled by formal multi-level institutional arrangements, links to politically prioritised policy frameworks, and transformative aims that address both climate and socio-economic benefits for communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a conceptual overview of meta-organizations' role for environmental sustainability in the under-researched African context. The current paper is one of the few studies to offer a specific differentiation regarding the role and activities of meta-organizations for environmental sustainability in developed vs. emerging economies' settings. The paper further offers an in-depth assessment of meta-organizations' role for environmental sustainability in Africa, along with discussing major hurdles in this concern. Our analysis reveals several problems with business only meta-organizations in Africa, which significantly limit their role in ensuring environmental sustainability in this region. These problems include competing interests resulting in failure to accommodate multiple stakeholders, lack of responsible investing and environmental stewardship, along with institutional voids. Finally, the paper presents some potential solutions to overcome these problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prescottiella sudanensis is a rare, asymmetrical desmid currently known from only a few countries in equatorial Africa. During the present study, P. sudanensis cells were found in water samples from Vogel Pan located in the far north-eastern side of Namibia, thereby expanding the known geographical distribution of the species. The location of the sampling site, which is situated in a direct line halfway between the Makgadikgadi pans and Okavango Delta towards the east (Botswana) and the Etosha pans towards the west (Namibia), suggests that migrating birds are likely vectors spreading desmids from one waterbody to another. In this paper a morphological description (including dimensions) and micrographs of P. sudanensis are presented, and the known geographical distribution of the species is discussed in relation to migration routes of birds. As the genus and species names are invalid according to ICN Art. 40.1, the names are also validated in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on interviews with Africans of binational parental heritage to expand the literature on identity formation in two ways. First, it takes on the factors that shape primary identity formation more fully by extending it beyond the current focus on state constrictures on primary identity formation. We argue in this paper that in addition to state constricture, closeness of family ties is yet another factor that shapes the primary identity of individuals with binationality. Individuals claim the identity of that parent whose extended family members have a cordial relationship with them as evident in communication patterns, visits, presence at rites of passage, and the extent to which extended family members embrace them as one of their own. Second, we interrogate the literature on hybridity beyond its focus on types to highlight the instrumental and intrinsic purposes to which hybridity can be put. We show how individuals with a primary identity would choose a secondary identity for instrumental reasons such as the education or work opportunities it provides. The intrinsic value of secondary identity is the entertainment options and sense of self it provides. This piece, focusing on both the factors that shape primary identity as well as when/for what purpose such individuals choose a secondary identity, highlights the agency of such individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pope Francis has made the protection of our common home a central theme of his Papacy. This may be nowhere more important than in Africa, a continent that is already today highly vulnerable to climate shocks due in part to high levels of water stress in many countries, food insecurity, and forced displacement, among others. In this paper, we use household surveys from West African countries to explore the impact of covariate shocks (most of which are weather-related) and international migration as a potential response to shocks on educational outcomes for children of primary school age. The results suggest that shocks affect educational outcomes substantially, but that international migration may generate benefits for children of migrants. The paper also briefly discusses policy prescriptions on how to tackle climate change, arguing that education to sustainable development should be a priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractDuring the Second Abe Administration (2012-2020), Japan intensified its efforts to strengthen economic ties with Africa. This paper explores the reasons behind this shift and its implications for Japan’s African policy. Challenging the prevailing ‘Reactive State’ model of Japanese African policy, the study argues that the shift resulted from political and bureaucratic reforms that centralized power in the Prime Minister’s office (Kantei) and Abe’s favoritism toward the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). As a result, METI gained greater influence over African policy. Unlike the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, METI views Africa as a promising market with a limited Japanese presence and advocates for a more business-oriented approach. The paper concludes that Japan’s new policy provides a convincing reason why Japan must engage with Africa. However, Japanese companies do not always follow as the Government intended. Despite government efforts, the Japanese private sector remains hesitant to expand investment in Africa due to challenging business environments and the absence of legal frameworks between Japan and African countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper interrogates what has and has not changed in 100 years of professional planning in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The geographical focus is on the area of the historic core of the city known as Ng'ambo (a KiSwahili place-name meaning 'the Other Side'). The gap between formal plans for infrastructure, housing, or neighbourhood development, and their implementation, is examined in its evolution over this century. The central focus of the empirical examination resides with the most recent planning initiatives, since 2011, which present a strongly inclusive and participatory emphasis for planning on the Other Side. The key research question is this: has this new era of inclusive planning strengthened the urban poor majority's citizenship, or has it continued the long run of state planning failures for Ng'ambo's residents? This essay argues that, despite progressive ambitions, in implementation there are a number of continuities with both colonial and post-independence planning, where outside powers and elite interests have predominated. The paper is built from more than thirty years of the author's research on urban planning in Ng'ambo and engagement with the literature of urban planning studies in Africa and the Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few decades, China emerged as Africa's main partner in digital development. Sino-African cooperation in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector meets African demand for advanced technologies and know-how while helping China to position itself in the global ICT sector. Albeit crucial for Africa's digital development in the short term, this paper argues that the breadth of Sino-African cooperation carries important long-term consequences that could afford China latent control over Africa's digital development. Drawing on Susan Strange's pillars of structural power, this paper considers how the rollout of fiber-optic network cables underpins Chinese control over production, how the construction of data centers might impinge on security, and how research partnerships enhance norms and standards in future innovation—the knowledge pillar. The paper argues that the enabling force of Sino-African cooperation in these three realms is Chinese finance. To test this claim, I conduct a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) of 42 states in Sub-Saharan Africa, showing that Chinese aid and, to a lesser extent, Chinese loans are the main drivers of Sino-African ties in the ICT sector. The paper concludes that Chinese financial support not only promotes Africa's digital development but also paves the way to Chinese structural power in the ICT sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a comprehensive review of the African Geographical Review (AGR) from 1963 to 2024, highlighting its evolution, thematic shifts, and impact on geographical scholarship within Africa. It explores the journal’s historical context, examining its geographical dynamics and how it has adapted to changing socio-political and environmental landscapes over the decades. The analysis draws from an interview with a past editor of the AGR and other secondary sources, including the journal’s scope and publications from the 1960s to the present, to provide a historical review of its content and identify key thematic trends across different periods and spaces. The paper also examines how the AGR has addressed pressing socioeconomic and sustainable development issues over time. This historical overview illustrates the AGR’s role in fostering a deeper understanding of Africa’s complex geographical narratives and its ongoing contribution to global academic discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of the study is to explore aspects of entrepreneurs' motivation and perceptions with reference to prevailing values in a given context in Africa. In the initial sections of the paper, we draw on concepts of entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurship ecosystem when discussing push and pull factors, access to resources, and Ubuntu. This discussion leads to the formulation of a set of research questions and the presentation of a case study analysis. The case study reveals the extent to which globalization and global events can present as palpable phenomena for small businesses opened by entrepreneurs in Africa. Further, in highlighting altruistically oriented entrepreneurial motivations and actions, the case study raises questions about notions of "necessity" entrepreneurs, given that entrepreneurship in Africa has traditionally been linked to finance and employment as opposed to altruistic and dispositional motivations. In drawing attention to the policy implications of the findings, we highlight that entrepreneurs driven by Ubuntu values are likely to be motivated to address issues of poverty, unemployment and community harmony as compared to those who are primarily motivated by rational-economic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is there any possibility that foreign aid may negatively affect African social ties? To answer such a question, this paper examines the impact of local Chinese aid projects on social capital in Africa. China or Chinese contractors directly control or operate Chinese projects in Africa. This feature may disengage Africans from participating in their own local development activities. Likewise, China gives unconditional aid, which may nurture corruption. By creating losers and winners, corruption may make people unhappy. Because of these features, Chinese aid projects may hinder the formation of social capital. This paper puts this claim to an empirical test using data from the Afrobarometer surveys and AidData. Conditional on a set of controls, I find several interesting results. First, Chinese aid is negatively associated with generalized trust. Second, Chinese aid projects are related to disengagement from associational life. Third, no similar pattern is found when the main analysis is replicated on aid from the World Bank. Finally, neither the Chinese nor the World Bank's aid is related to subjective wellbeing. The results suggest that Chinese aid may wither local social ties through social disengagement. Overall, the findings imply that it is vital to engage local citizens in the design and implementation of Chinese aid projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the dynamics of air emissions is important in implementing efficient policies to combat climate change, and the convergence of air pollutants is a major concern for planners. Nevertheless, most of the existing evidence focuses on developed regions. In this paper, we analyse the evolution of the ecological footprint for the African continent, during 1970–2018. The Phillips and Sul (2007, 2009) panel club convergence approach is carried out. This framework allows us to test the null hypothesis of absolute convergence for a pool of data and to identify groups of countries that converge to the same steady state. Our results offer important insights into the emissions catch-up exhibited by these countries, but do not support the hypothesis that all countries of the African region converge to a single equilibrium. The empirical results strongly support the existence of two convergence clubs. Our empirical findings have important implications for African policymakers in terms of mitigation policies, as the results suggest that a common environmental policy across the entire African continent is sub-optimal, since these regions have heterogeneous behaviours and move towards different equilibriums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The call to decolonise knowledge is gaining increasing popularity in African philosophy. But as scholarly attention to the topic intensifies, so do doubts about the usefulness of theorising it, especially in spaces – like Africa – that are riddled with deeper problems such as mass poverty and social disempowerment. I focus on three challenges that Bernard Matolino has recently issued. If these challenges are on the right track, they threaten to derail the whole project of epistemic decolonisation worldwide, since many of the aspects of Africa that Matolino thinks make decolonial theorising unhelpful are shared by the rest of the Global South. In this paper, I develop a conception of epistemic decolonisation that is geared to withstanding such doubts in the contemporary African context, and can hopefully serve others in the Global South who share some of Africa's problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the Special Issue that grew out of a research project at the African Leadership Centre, which was supported by the Canadian International Centre for Development Research (IDRC). Like the underpinning research, the papers in this volume engage with two aspects of the state-building and peace-building debate and foreground the theory of "conversation" as a useful lens through which to advance the pursuit of sustainable peace in Africa. First, we challenge the dominant approach that constructs liberal state-building as an essential condition for durable peace in societies emerging from armed conflict. Second, we examine the extent to which various forms of political settlements are able to deliver sustainable peace and as a result, more peaceful and viable states. The concept of "conversation" is the thread that connects the two elements of the research. The notion of conversation reverses the conventional view of the relationship between peacebuilding and state-building while re-centring a particular dimension of political settlement. We argue that peacebuilding should be conceived as part of the conversations occurring along the state-building continuum in the affected societies. This shifts the traditional approach of privileging the technical over the political, power over agency, and the international over the national and local. This paper introduces the articles in this volume, which include conceptual and empirical case-studies and it discusses implications for policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent paper for the Journal of African History, A.G. Hopkins writes that economists have spent the last decade writing a 'new' economic history of Africa that has escaped the notice of historians. He labels the 'ethnolinguistic fractionalization' and 'reversal of fortune' theses as this literature's key insights. In this paper, I shall argue that the most valuable contributions to the new economic history of Africa are not distinguished by their broad theories, but by their careful focus on causal inference. I shall survey recent contributions to this literature, compare them with the 'old' economic history of Africa, and revise Hopkins's advice to historians accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mentorship may be conceptualised in terms of the form it takes, function it serves or it's learning centred nature which makes research in mentoring to receive attention within different disciplines. This article attempts to understand how a mentoring programme can contribute to enhanced research capacity building in the field of Innovation and Development (I&D) studies in Africa. It does this through a qualitative study of an African-oriented research capacity building network (AfricaLics) that aims at building a critical mass of scholars in I&D studies in the continent of Africa. Drawing on theoretical approaches in higher education that support systems of interaction thinking, the paper finds that more systematic and extensive mentorship, and awareness about different types of mentorship can enhance capacity building in the field of I&D studies. The paper recommends that development of an I&D mentorship programme must consider a mix of both structured and unstructured elements that are aligned to the local context. These context-specific elements are critical to building sustainable research capacity building programmes in academic disciplines that are transdisciplinary in nature such as I&D studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New tools are being explored to provide collective and participatory means of governing data to promote the management of data in ways that benefit those from whom data is collected. This paper discusses whether data trusts are feasible structures in an African context by outlining specific considerations that should be prioritised in the development of bottom-up and collective models of data governance on the continent. Making use of international instruments, principles and established values like Ubuntu, the paper analyses the importance of collective decision-making through collective and participatory governance, women's empowerment, and capacity-building, and how the alignment of data trusts to African contexts could help balance historical power differentials, and emphasise heterogeneity as the starting point of all discussions in the digital age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past five years, there have been growing calls for transformative responses to sustainability challenges, supported by increased transformative action in the pursuit of environmental justice. In parallel to this development within the policy arena, the concept of transformation and its potential is also attracting more attention within the research community. This paper uses the example of the Urban Natural Assests for Africa (UNA) programme to explore what transformative change might mean for cities and how this might be achieved through enacting just processes. It explores in some more detail different approaches to transformative change to explain how and why an enabling perspective on transformation is considered to be fruitful in developing the understanding of transformative capacity for change. The paper then explores how the programme was able to foster this capacity, with what consequences for the African cities and what it implies for the nature of change for urban social and environmental justice in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Critical African Studies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Extant studies on the relationship between financial development and inequality have largely adopted single financial indicators especially the private credit/GDP. Unlike these works, the present study adopts a robust total financial development indicator based on four mainstays of financial development of financial deepening, efficiency, stability and access following the World Bank recommendation on the measurement of financial development. Using this measure, the paper examines the relationship in 40 African countries. The empirical results confirm the findings of extant studies that the ratio of private credit to GDP increases inequality in high, middle-low and low-income countries. The total financial development, however, reports mixed evidence. While this measure reduces inequality in high and middle-low income countries, it does not affect inequality in low-income countries. Also, the study finds evidence of a nonlinear relationship only among the low-income countries. The paper recommends that policymakers should formulate wholesome policies that cut across all mainstays of financial development to reduce inequality, particularly, in high and middle-low African countries. Also, policymakers are advised to increase growth in low-income countries so that financial development could reduce inequality. At most, these countries should pay less attention to financial development for inequality-reduction policies among low-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the role that trade liberalisation policies play in attracting FDI flows to African economies from 2000 to 2017. This study contributes to the extant literature on the relevance of trade liberalisation policies in developing economies and in particular, African Countries. By employing new measures for trade liberalisation policies, the study estimated a System Generalized Method of Moment model to examine the relationship between trade liberalisation policies and FDI inflows to Africa. The findings suggest that the institutionalisation of policies to enhance trade liberalisation would be germane in attracting higher levels of FDI flows to African economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the relationship between economic development and within-country income inequality using satellite night-light data for a panel of 49 African countries. We highlight three worrisome facts describing regional income disparities in Africa, which rank among the highest in the world, they are persistent, and they have increased 2.16% annually over the period 1992–2012. Our instrumental variable (IV) results confirm the existence of a regional Kuznets curve characterized by an inverted U curve, implying that although economic progress increases regional income inequalities at first, this positive link eventually flats out at a certain level of GDP per capita (2200 constant USD) and turns to reduce income inequality as further as GDP per capita still increases. We also find that the positive impact of total trade on regional income inequalities disappears once we account for potential endogeneity issues. Aid flows, FDI, industry, oil rents, government share, and institutions present positive correlations and reinforce our main results. Our conclusions should raise the concern for policymakers and economists to enhance policies towards a more prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable economic future in Africa, especially in the least developed countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing models of capitalist transformation have nearly always prioritised an analysis of domestic capital in shaping economic trajectories. Yet, even as industrial policy has been re-imagined in Africa, the potential contribution of domestic capital has remained marginal in academic analysis and policy discussions. The prevailing assumptions are that African capital is either non-existent or too weak to influence the policies of African governments. However, there is evidence within nascent literature that large African-owned businesses continue to influence the trajectory of capitalist transformation within their countries. This paper examines why the study of African capitalists – popular in the 1980s and 1990s – has remained dormant. This paper makes the case for analysing the politics driving the activity of large African-owned firms through researching the politics of diversified business groups (DBGs). Arguing that DBGs are the predominant form that large-scale domestic investment takes on the continent, the paper introduces an inductively-informed typology of African DBGs. The framework shows how domestic political economy (and the politics of state-business relations, in particular) shapes the form and trajectories of diversification of domestic business groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African cities remain little known. As a result, they are outside the global intellectual arena on urban issues, which justifies the need for more productive research. This article aims to empirically analyze the evolution of urban planning studies in Africa, by identifying the trends that characterize scientific production, through a systematic literature review over the last four decades. The study is organized around four different analysis: temporal, thematic, methodological, and geographical, based on 268 journal articles. It highlights major trends in the evolution of this literature. The paper finally discusses important challenges and areas of improvement in African cities research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In relation to actual digital usage, empirical research is limited on whether digital technology promotes entrepreneurial development in African economies. This study, therefore, investigates the impact of digital technology usage on entrepreneurship in selected African countries. This study contributes to the literature by using 20 selected African countries over the period of 2012–2016. Unlike existing studies, this paper differentiates between the impact of business, government and individual usage of digital technology by employing the 6th, 7th and 8th pillars of the Network Readiness Index. The study employs panel least square and instrumental variable (IV) estimating techniques and panel corrected standard errors (PCSEs) to analyze the data. The results show that digital technology usage has a positive and significant impact on entrepreneurship in Africa. Further analysis shows that individual usage and business usage have a positive and significant impact on business creation. Social media network usage has a positive and significant impact on entrepreneurial development. The study suggests that the growth of entrepreneurship can be enhanced through an ICT usage enabling environment. Individual usage and business usage including social media usage of digitalization are the main drivers of entrepreneurial development in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transformative learning occurs when a person, group, or larger social unit encounters ideas that are at odds with their prevailing perspective. This discrepant perspective can lead to an examination of previously held beliefs, values, and assumptions. The Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) has since 2011 been training and supporting faculty from different African universities, to become more reflective and productive researchers, research leaders, educators, and change agents who will drive institutional changes in their institutions. As part of a mid-term evaluation of CARTA, an open-ended question was posed to the CARTA fellows asking them to describe any changes they had experienced in their professional lives as a result of the CARTA Programme. The 135 responses were inductively coded and analysed using qualitative thematic analysis. These themes were subsequently mapped onto Hoggan's typology of transformative learning outcomes. CARTA fellows reported shifts in their sense of self; worldviews; beliefs about the definition of knowledge, how it is constructed and evaluated; and changes in behaviour/practices and capacities. This paper argues that the changes described by the CARTA fellows reflect transformative learning that is embedded in CARTA's Theory of Change. The reported transformation was enabled by a curriculum intentionally designed to facilitate critical reflection, further exploration, and questioning, both formally and informally during the fellows' PhD journey with the support of CARTA facilitators. Documenting and disseminating these lessons provide a guide for future practice, and educators wishing to revitalise their PhD training may find it useful to review the CARTA PhD curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Inspired by growing calls for the equitable recognition of other experiences—especially non-white and non-western—in the historiography of the modern era, this paper explores the themes of transnational architectural practice and cosmopolitanism through the lens of cultural heritage—specifically modern heritage—and how values are ascribed, invariably asymmetrically, to the tangible and intangible legacies of our recent past. In deference to the theme of Cosmopolitanism's Others, the paper argues for equitable histories not merely as an intellectual exercise, but as a prerequisite to attaining just and sustainable futures. One small step in this direction is the formulation of The Cape Town Document on Modern Heritage (2022) under the auspices of the global collaborative, MoHoA (Modern Heritage of Africa/Modern Heritage in the Anthropocene), a decentring and restitutive framework for an equitable and sustainable approach to the theory and practice of modern heritage in a planetary age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feminist political economy has illuminated the gendered dimensions of the globalisation of production. Whilst this literature provides essential insights on gendered exploitation in export-oriented industries, women's work in localised labour markets in the Global South remains underexplored. This paper seeks to address this gap by putting into dialogue three bodies of literature – feminist political economy of globalisation, political economy of development in southern Africa and the social reproduction of the everyday. It proposes an integrated conceptual framework to analyse women's working lives and applies it to northern Mozambique. It makes two key findings. First, the lives of those working in localised labour markets are shaped by global capitalism through extreme fragmentation of labour regimes forcing people into multiple precarious forms of work – a process that entails the appropriation of women's productive and reproductive labour. Second, the imperatives of social reproduction shape employment trajectories and expose differentiation among working women, seen for example through gendered constraints to mobility, care obligations and contributions to ceremonies. The implications are that the analysis of women's working lives needs to capture three key aspects: social differentiation among working women, temporal and spatial dynamics of the everyday and the centrality of the reproduction of the social. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Together with Syllidae, Nereididae and Eunicidae, Spionidae is one of the four more speciose families of polychaete annelids in southern Africa, comprising 25% of the known species and 53–85% of the unresolved cosmopolitans. Among southern African spionids, the genus Dipolydora Verrill, 1881 particularly requires further revision and, in this paper, we contribute by refining the morphological characteristics of D. capensis (Day, 1955) and D. goreensis (Augener, 1918). Neither species has been redescribed since their original description and are currently difficult to distinguish and identify. Therefore, our study provides additional morphological details based on examining type specimens and newly collected materials from South Africa and the Republic of Congo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the role of local human capital in facilitating the export diversification improvement effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) in African countries. To this end, we use a panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) model which is able to deal with the heterogeneity issue associated with the cross-country data. Based on a sample of 30 African countries over the period 1996–2019, the results show that there is a minimum threshold of human capital beyond which the export diversification enhancing effect of FDI is unlocked in African countries. In other words, only countries located above a certain threshold of human capital benefit from the positive effect of FDI on export diversification. These results suggest that policymakers in African countries should focus on improving the conditions for acquiring local human capital (education and health) in order to extract economic gains from FDI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the effects of migration on economic outcomes have gained significant attention among researchers and policymakers. In the African context, the complex interplay between migration and economic outcomes is of particular importance, as many countries face unique challenges, such as limited resources, ongoing conflicts, and uneven development. This paper explores the impact of immigration, international migrant cash transfers, and emigration on total factor productivity in Africa, and its implications for public policy. We used the World Development Indicators, the Pen World Table from 2000 to 2020, and instrumental variable estimation in an endogenous growth model. The findings indicate that emigrant human capital and remittances have a negative impact on total factor productivity, whereas immigrant human capital positively affects it. These results highlight the importance of well-defined public migration policies that promote brain circulation, attract skilled immigrants, enhance domestic human capital development, and foster regional co-operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a novel dataset of foreign direct investment (FDI) corporations in the renewable electricity industry (REI), coupled with a large range of employed variables, this paper empirically examines FDI determinants in the REI in Africa between 2003 and 2019. The electricity insecurity issues worsen daily, aggravating all facets of African life. A range of promising and informative results were found using the FDI panel gravity fixed effects Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood model. Interestingly, we reveal the uselessness of fossil fuel subsidy changes in stimulating green FDI in Africa. However, a 1% growth in Africa's gross domestic product expands FDI by almost 1.5%. Similarly, one additional point in the corruption index reduces FDI by about 1.2%. Furthermore, increasing the number of educated African children and raising renewable energy awareness contributes constructively to the REI and sustainable energy development. To mitigate the energy issues, policymakers should elevate clean power consciousness among Africans and enhance sustainable energy support and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparing China's 2006 and 2015 Africa policies, this article reveals how China's political discourse has become more confident, practical, and depoliticised. In particular, this paper shows how education is allocated, promised, and embedded in China's 'shared' agenda, which is centred on development co-operation and mutual learning. It then reflects on the extent to which China may move towards traditional donors. This paper concludes that, despite fragmented convergences in the discourse and an increased recognition of a Chinese model, China maintains its distinctive role and position in the post-2015 era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper hypothesizes that the quality of institutions tends to evolve slowly and in a piecemeal nature over time. In this process policy is seen to be a mechanism through which this evolutionary process takes place. Policy influences intermediary variables, which in turn create opportunities for institutional innovation. There are two hypotheses derived from this analysis and tested empirically in the paper. It is hypothesized that improvements in institutional quality lead to increases in economic development (using two different measures). It is also hypothesized that changes in intermediary variables resulting from policy changes lead to improvements in institutional quality. These two hypotheses are tested using a panel data set made up of twenty-five countries in Africa. The results indicate that improvements in the quality of governance institutions do lead to improvements in economic development and that policies aimed at influencing intermediary variables lead to improvements in governance institutional quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose that ethnic obligation is a norm that regulates the obligations of ethnic group members to each other and then examine its effects on well-being in a context where ethnicity is salient. Using a strain theory perspective, along with primary and secondary data sets, we found relative deprivation to be a moderator in the relationship between ethnic obligation and the well-being of individuals in both work and non-work contexts. The findings challenge previous findings on the structural perspective of ethnicity and help explain well-being in an under-researched cultural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic has differentially affected the productivity of researchers from different backgrounds and showcase the factors that are responsible for these inequalities. Data for this study were collected using an electronic questionnaire via Qualtrics, distributed to researchers across Africa. Three hundred and eleven Participants completed the questionnaire in August/September 2020. Our results show that although overall time spent working during COVID-19 has increased, this has not translated into enhanced levels of productivity. Researchers are spending about 22 hours per week extra working than before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Male researchers were able to spend more time on publications, patents, and consulting activities than their female counterparts.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examined the polemic between the advocates of democracy, development and dictatorship. It exposed the philosophical foundation of democracy, development and maintained that democratic principles could facilitate development within the African continent. This argument is supported by the claim that the process and outcome of democratic practice are likely to bring about development aimed at improving the living standard of citizens in the society. The paper further maintained that the likely way by which democracy can be seen to be worthwhile is when it is geared towards societal development. Finally, the paper affirmed that since the two concepts of democracy and development are like the Siamese twins set to better the wellbeing of citizens, then the way out of Africa's present crisis of development is to embrace democracy and its principles in practice properly. It concluded that only when a deliberate attempt is made at the practice of proper democratic principles with all sense of purpose that sustainable development can be attained on the continent of Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]