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The informal economy is an important phenomenon in African countries, accounting for up to 90% of the jobs in the lowest income Sub-Saharan countries such as Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Management research about Africa, therefore, cannot be complete without a closer look at and a better understanding of the informal economy on the continent, the opportunities it brings and challenges it faces. Research on the informal economy started during the early 1970s has been conducted mainly by economists and sociologists. Managerial and organizational knowledge of the informal economy in Africa, however, remains largely underdeveloped. We reviewed the literature on the informal economy taking a pan-African approach by surveying 102 studies published from 1992 to 2017 in English, French and Portuguese language outlets. We summarize the current state of the literature, identify seven general themes, raise pertinent research questions, and suggest directions to further advance research about the informal economy with a focus on management and organization knowledge in all of Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editors discuss articles in the issue on topics including entrepreneurship, women's role in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), and family-owned business management in the informal economy in Africa.

This article focuses on the meso-micro levels of entrepreneurial family-owned and small firms operating in Africa’s informal economy. It examines how these firms manage formal and informal business activities, and how entrepreneurs manage business risks associated with market imperfections. After a brief review of the literature on the structuring and management of these firms in the context of the informal economy, we present and illustrate the Octopus business model showing the strategic apex, tentacles, and the location of formal and informal business activities along the firm’s value chain. We use a composite sample of 31 case studies and managers’ stories from publicly published sources to illustrate and test the Octopus business model and locations of formal and informal business activities in distinct parts of the value chain. Preliminary results show that in structuring and managing their firms, entrepreneurs make deliberate and at times strategic decisions in their choices and locations of formal or informal business activities. We discuss the results in terms of their implications for management theory development, research, business and management education and training, public policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines whether African countries can learn from the experiences of BRIC countries that have informal economies. Our analysis revealed that some characteristics of the informal economy are common in both the BRIC and the select African group. The study found that the size of the economy does not tell the full story about the informal economy, and that post-conflict economies have a higher proportion of informal economy. Countries with the largest informal economies have had the greatest decline. Further, the absolute size of the informal economy is greater in both groups, resulting in more people working in the informal sector than official records would indicate. Moreover, countries with high female labour participation registered a far greater reduction in their informal economies than those countries with low female labour participation. All in all, limited availability of quality data on the nature, structure, behavior and consequences of the informal economy and its relations with the rest of the economy and society need to be overcome for a better understanding of the informal economy and informed development policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review summarizes literature covering entrepreneurship research in Africa, examining 121 articles published in prominent entrepreneurship and management journals from 2002 to 2015. To do so, this research organizes the work done along three broad themes describing: the African entrepreneur, the entrepreneurial firm, and macro socio-economic conditions. Within this framework, the review examines entrepreneurial attributes with regard to gender, age, education, and work behavior. The topics explored that are relevant to the entrepreneurial firm include organizational forms (e.g., SMEs and family businesses), financial and social capital, as well as the informal economy. Macro socio-economic conditions with respect to the various circumstances African entrepreneurs are subject to are then considered. Issues typical to Africa concerning poverty, corruption, internationalization, and environmental concerns are also examined. In an effort to facilitate future work, this research highlights knowledge gaps concerning the theoretical nature of most of work done, which has primarily been focused within Anglophone African countries. This review concludes by considering what needs to be done to improve the quality of entrepreneurship studies within the African context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]