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Manufacturing has the potential to drive economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction, but African manufacturers face challenges in competing with global markets. Agricultural machinery manufacturing may be one niche where African manufacturers can succeed. This paper examines the challenges and opportunities facing local agricultural manufacturers in Africa based on a survey of 386 manufacturers in four countries and qualitative methods. Results show that small, dedicated entrepreneurs have created vibrant local machinery markets. These manufacturers have several comparative advantages, in particular, the ability to develop machinery adapted to local agroecological conditions but face challenges related to financing, human resources, utilities, raw materials, production equipment and the regulatory environment. The paper offers recommendations on how to support local manufacturers to make "Made in Africa" the first choice for African farmers and agro‐food processors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ghana's petroleum industry is located several nautical miles offshore in the Western Region of the country. Yet, the mechanisms and processes of production and transportation of crude petroleum are accompanied by the dispossessing of the adjoining coastal communities of their means of (re)production both on the ocean and on land. Although the insights of agrarian political economy have been deployed fruitfully to analyse land grabs in Africa, similar efforts are rare when it comes to ocean grabs. With reference to the new development thinking on the ocean economy—or 'blue economy'—as the new frontier of resource‐based industrialization in Africa, we re‐frame the agrarian question and apply it to the offshore petroleum industry, expanding agrarian political‐economic theory of industrialization beyond its traditional confines of land and agriculture. Our paper makes two main theoretical contributions. First, it contributes to efforts in agrarian political economy to incorporate the ocean and fisheries. Second, we contribute a fresh theoretical framework for analysing offshore petroleum industries and their potential to contribute to industrialization in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to establish the contribution of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) programmes in promoting industrialization. It further seeks to establish the link between industrialization and productivity. The paper uses a gravity model to estimate a cross‐sectional time‐series (panel) dataset for the period 2001–2015. The results indicate that membership to COMESA has created large markets and promoted industrialization among member states. However, results also confirm that COMESA member states still heavily trade in industrial intermediates with non‐members. The study further reveals that the share of foreign total factor productivity (TFP) to COMESA's TFP are weaker than expected, which suggests non‐convergence to international knowledge spillovers. The study concludes that COMESA programmes have positively affected industrialization. We therefore recommend that COMESA should continue implementing strategies, policies and programmes that promote industrialization and technology transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrialization constitutes one of the strategies of structural transformation in many sub‐Saharan African (SSA) countries. In this paper, we re‐examine the effect of financial development on the industrialization of 35 SSA countries over the period 1996–2018. Contrary to previous work, we formulate the hypothesis that there exists a threshold of financial development beyond which financial development positively influences industrialization. Using the dynamic panel threshold regression model, and system generalized methods of moment models, we find two main results. First, financial development has a negative and significant impact on the development of industrialization. Secondly, the findings show the existence of a nonlinear relationship between financial development and industrialization development. Thus, we find that financial development has a negative effect on industrialization below the threshold while the effect is significantly positive on industrialization in countries whose financial development is above the threshold. The results are stable to the different robustness tests used. These findings highlight the need for SSA countries to develop better financial institutions if they hope to boost the manufacturing sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the potential for South Africa to become an engine for intra‐regional trade and industrial development in Southern Africa. It focuses on new backward linkages that can be created from South African exports of final products to producers of intermediate inputs in other Southern African countries. We do so by identifying South Africa's lead products, where it has formed its own GVCs, and, in turn, earmarking intermediate inputs used in the production of these lead products. Using Revealed Comparative Advantage and Unit Cost analysis, we identify Southern African countries that could supply the identified imported intermediate inputs more competitively than South Africa's existing partners and kickstart regional integration. We explore issues around the nature of linkages, supplier capabilities and industrial policies in the region, with special reference to the identified product value chains. Focusing on the agricultural sector—a key regional priority with immense potential for industrial growth and large‐scale employment—we also identify existing agricultural lead products in South Africa, and the 'new markets' to which South Africa can export. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses two general difficulties in drawing lessons from Asian industrialization for Africa, the problem of identification and the problem of reproducibility. The paper criticizes the World Bank/neoclassical model's attempt to solve the identification problem. Using examples from a number of East and Southeast Asian countries the paper argues that the model's export-oriented vs import-substitution dichotomy is a false one, that government policy was not neutral but active, interventionist and 'distorting', often with positive results, and that statist policies ensured that agriculture supported labour-intensive industrialization. It also points out that the problem of reproducibility, which is complicated by structural and historical dimensions, is largely ignored by the World Bank/neoclassical model. This raises serious doubts about the usefulness of the World Bank's model of structural adjustment as it applies to Africa, since it is based on a misinterpretation of the factors responsible for industrialization in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a decade of rapid economic growth, Africa's industrial sector remains underdeveloped. In this paper we explain why improved economic performance in the industrial sector is important for Africa's long-term growth, and discuss the prospects for accelerated industrialization on the continent. We distinguish between macroeconomic aspects, factors related to the investment climate, and the role of skills at the level of the enterprise. We also discuss the theoretical underpinnings of industrial policy, as well as implementation problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this paper, we address two major questions. First, the question of whether China and India are displacing the African manufacturing export from the third market. Second, whether there is an evidence of shifting comparative advantage from China and India to Africa. We employed a gravity model with a panel data using 13 African exporters of clothing and accessories for the period 1995–2005 to answer the first question. To answer the second question, we used a flying-geese model and estimated Spearman's rank correlation coefficients on indices of the revealed comparative advantage vectors of the African exporters and China and India for the same period. Both the gravity and flying-geese models predicted similar outcomes. We found that there is strong evidence that China has been displacing African manufactures from the third market while India has been complementing it in the early years of the study. However, the overall third market impact of China and India has been that of complementarity in the later years of the study period. This result is found to vary across countries. Furthermore, we found evidence of shifting comparative advantage from China and India to Africa as the flying-geese theory predicts, South Africa being the leading goose followed by Kenya. The major implication of the study is that, in the world where China and India are reshaping the global economic order dynamically, the outcomes of the traditionally received wisdom of trade liberalization and industrialization policies through export promotion may be uncertain and requires strategic thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa is currently the only continent that is yet to experience sustained industrial growth and structural transformation. The continent's position as the last frontier for industrial growth became clear following the spectacular transformations of the Chinese economy since the late 1970s. While it is often emphasized that Africa must improve its industrial capacities and diversify its economies in order to achieve real growth and development, there is little clarity on the most effective model and strategies for the continent's industrialization. This article conceptually examines the Washington Consensus versus the Beijing development models, and empirically presents their evolution in Africa. Drawing on a modified Fukuyama's state theory which differentiates between the strength of state institutions and the scope of state activities, this article argues that strengthening African states is a prerequisite for the success of any development model. The article provides strategies for strengthening state capacity in African countries from weak to moderately strong states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current China- Africa relations have been statically framed: China invests in the continent and exports resources extracted by its state-owned enterprises and fuelled by aid flows, while simultaneously undercutting African industry through cheap exports. We frame this debate, then explore how the framework could adjust in response to changing economic realities in China, centered on the 'rebalancing' of the growth model toward domestic consumption. We argue that a new wave of private sector-led, low-cost manufacturers may find its way to selected African shores, in the process transforming those economies and the way in which China interacts with them, both for the better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the issues concerning the composite index development and the statistical capacity building programs at both the continental, national and international sectors. It mentions that the development of the African Statistical Development Index (ASDI) was established to provide users with a potential tool that could assist them to supervise development in statistical capacity building efforts of African countries.

Advancing global urbanism depends upon making Africa's cities a more dominant part of the global urban narrative. Constructing a more legitimate research agenda for African cities, however, necessitates a repositioning of conventional modes of research. To achieve intellectual and political traction in what are typical African research conditions-where human needs are great, information is poor, conditions of governance are complex and the reality is changeable-we reflect on the experiences of the African Centre for Cities where (alongside conventional use of theory, methods and data) a translational mode of working has been adopted. The notion of translational urban research praxis captures more than the idea of applied research or even co-production, and encompasses integrating the research conception, design, execution, application and reflection-and conceiving of this set of activities as a singular research/practice process that is by its nature deeply political and locationally embedded. In this way we suggest that African urbanism can be both usefully illuminated by global theories and methods, and can simultaneously be constitutive of the reform of the ideas through which cities generally are understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the role that innovation plays as an engine for economic development, we examined the enabling factor of institutions in Africa. Particularly, attention was given to determining the equivalent effects of institutional development on innovation. A sample of 40 African countries over the period 1996-2012 was employed, and our baseline equation was estimated using the system generalised method of moments ( SGMM) estimation technique. The empirical result reveals that government effectiveness and regulatory quality are two institutional measures that have the most equivalent impact on innovation. The extent of impact is an indication that institutions matter, especially when considering innovation in Africa. Therefore, to advance the rate of innovation in Africa, improving frameworks to drive regulations and enhance government effectiveness is a necessary instrument. Having these in place, Africa will be able to catch up with advanced economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resumen En este artículo se examina los distintos momentos elegidos para introducir cuatro grandes programas de seguridad social -el seguro de accidentes del trabajo, las prestaciones por enfermedad, las pensiones y las asignaciones familiares- en cuarenta y tres países africanos. Además, se analiza si la estructura legislativa, la religión dominante o el pasado colonial del país hasta el año de su independencia tienen importancia a la hora de ponderar la prosperidad, el grado de democracia, la estabilidad gubernamental, su industrialización, la demografía y la homogeneidad étnica de la población. A partir del modelo de regresión de Cox de riesgos proporcionales se concluye que la tendencia muestra que los países industrializados, homogéneos y más bien populosos que estuvieron bajo dominio francés son pioneros en materia de legislación sobre seguridad social. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on the manufacturing industry in Sub-Saharan Africa and the introduction of structural adjustment programmes in the country. Main weakness of the de-industrialization hypothesis; Information on the World Bank's Regional Programme on Enterprise Development; Overview of the report "Adjustment in Africa: Reform, Results and the Road Ahead."

Cross-cultural studies of managerial attitudes, beliefs and values have produced evidence to support both the view that industrialization is a force for convergence, and for the notion that national cultural realities continue to support divergence. Data from an investigation of Malawian managers are considered in relation to those from comparable previous studies in other countries, and more specifically in terms of the African context. Some tentative hypotheses are advanced, to account for distinctive aspects of managerial thinking in Malawi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the role of organized labor in economic development in Africa. The following interpretations are analyzed: the interpretation of the Inter-University Study of Labor Problems in Economic Development; the political unionism viewpoint; and the interpretation of those who believe that the role of labor is to contribute to rapid economic growth. The author points that the role of organized labor to regulate conflict has been weakened in the developing areas. Thus, labor's contribution to industrialization and economic development remains an elusive one.

The article focuses on the approval of Regional Integration Policy and Strategy (RIPoS) in African Development Bank from 2014 to 2023. Topics discussed include the guidance of RIPoS on its role as financier, catalyst, and knowledge broker, the complimentary thematic areas such as enhancing industrialisation and trade and supporting regional infrastructure development, and Crisis Response Budget Support loan for Emergency Economic Recovery Programme (PURE) in Madagascar.

The article discusses the development of various industries in Africa. Burundi's main brewer Brarudi, which is majority owned by Heineken NV, has announced that its sales volume had increased by 5.1% in 2008. Ireland's Tullow Oil has signed a production sharing agreement with the government for a 48.5% operating interest in Blocks 1 and 2 of the Lake Albert Basin in northwest Congo. Zambia President Rupiah Banda has launched the country's first mobile phone manufacturing plant Mobile Telecommunication, with an assurance that government was working towards reducing the international gateway licensing fees.

The article reports on the positive market in the shipment of heavy cargo by the Safmarine company and the trend is expected to continue considering large scale infrastructure projects that are being develop. According to Jonathan Horn, Africa region executive, overall the shipping volumes to West Africa are on the increase triggered by the growing requirement for all types of goods and not only industrial cargo related to the oil, gas and mining industries. Also, it offers information on the firms Safmarine Angela vessel.

The article discusses the problems of industrialization in the African continent. Kandeh Yumkellah, director-general of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) informed that the rapid urbanization of Africa is threatening the political and socio-economic factors of urban poverty due to lack of structural transformation of its economies particularly sectors that generate jobs and wealth. He thinks that African leaders should distinguish between poverty reduction and poverty management wherein the former can be achieved through effective and sustained private wealth creation, rapid economic transformation and growth. Yumkellah also discussed the importance of finding solutions to the current energy crises.