Routledge Research on African Economics – serie

This book investigates the relationship that Multinational Corporations form with Local Authorities and governments in West Africa. It argues that informal partnerships at the local level can provide significant socioeconomic benefits to communities and overcome shortfalls in state provision of infrastructure and collective goods and services.Drawing on in-depth case studies in Niger, Ghana and Liberia, the book demonstrates that Decentralized Partnerships benefit from lower transaction costs while maintaining profitability and investment protection, whereas in formal relationships between multinationals and local government, asset specificity and uncertainty are high. By complying with informal rules, which are in many ways just as restrictive as formal rules, Multinational Corporations can adapt and acculturate themselves, become actors of territorial authorities and can get around the incompleteness of the contract that binds them to the state.Reflecting on a range of local projects (educational, infrastructural, health, micro-financial, entrepreneurial), this book provides a rich and detailed assessment of the interactions between Local Authorities and Multinational Firms.The book will be useful to upper-level students and researchers across the fields of economics, business, sociology, anthropology and African studies as well as to development practitioners and regional and international organizations with interest in the functioning of Multinational Corporations in local environments.

This book investigates the relationship that Multinational Corporations form with Local Authorities and governments in West Africa. It argues that informal partnerships at the local level can provide significant socioeconomic benefits to communities and overcome shortfalls in state provision of infrastructure and collective goods and services.Drawing on in-depth case studies in Niger, Ghana and Liberia, the book demonstrates that Decentralized Partnerships benefit from lower transaction costs while maintaining profitability and investment protection, whereas in formal relationships between multinationals and local government, asset specificity and uncertainty are high. By complying with informal rules, which are in many ways just as restrictive as formal rules, Multinational Corporations can adapt and acculturate themselves, become actors of territorial authorities and can get around the incompleteness of the contract that binds them to the state.Reflecting on a range of local projects (educational, infrastructural, health, micro-financial, entrepreneurial), this book provides a rich and detailed assessment of the interactions between Local Authorities and Multinational Firms.The book will be useful to upper-level students and researchers across the fields of economics, business, sociology, anthropology and African studies as well as to development practitioners and regional and international organizations with interest in the functioning of Multinational Corporations in local environments.

More African women than men become entrepreneurs, with women often balancing time caring for their households with small enterprises such as setting up shops in front of their homes, renting market stalls, or setting up hairstyling businesses.This book considers these micro-level instances of entrepreneurship, as well as cases of more established high-status entrepreneurs, to build a picture of women entrepreneurs in West African societies, and their wider role in socio-economic development. Small and medium enterprises are seen as agents of change in the global south, vital for job creation and poverty reduction, but women often face barriers which hinder their entrepreneurial success, such as lack of funding, useful networks, or inhibitive gender stereotypes. This book highlights cases of gender and economic success, to demonstrate the significant potential of the female economy to generate progress and change.This book will be an important read for students and researchers of entrepreneurship, business, gender, development, and economic sociology in Africa.

More African women than men become entrepreneurs, with women often balancing time caring for their households with small enterprises such as setting up shops in front of their homes, renting market stalls, or setting up hairstyling businesses.This book considers these micro-level instances of entrepreneurship, as well as cases of more established high-status entrepreneurs, to build a picture of women entrepreneurs in West African societies, and their wider role in socio-economic development. Small and medium enterprises are seen as agents of change in the global south, vital for job creation and poverty reduction, but women often face barriers which hinder their entrepreneurial success, such as lack of funding, useful networks, or inhibitive gender stereotypes. This book highlights cases of gender and economic success, to demonstrate the significant potential of the female economy to generate progress and change.This book will be an important read for students and researchers of entrepreneurship, business, gender, development, and economic sociology in Africa.

Transportation is an essential part of human activity and a service that makes an enormous contribution to the economic, social, and general well-being of countries and their citizens. However, many developing countries and emerging economies are suffering from institutional challenges that impact their transport infrastructure and ability to provide an effective transport service.This book highlights the research on transportation services in Africa and provides theoretical underpinning for future studies on transport service management. It recognises that one size does not fit all, acknowledging that transport service provision in Africa needs to be contextualised amidst the inherent challenges and the travel demands of citizens. This book moves beyond Western transport, land use, and engineering research to explore transportation from a services and business perspective and provides a comprehensive resource encompassing transport service quality, marketing communication, public sector engagement with stakeholders, and sustainable and inclusive transportation.This edited collection brings together insights from authors across Africa to provide much-needed theoretical and practical knowledge for academic researchers and students, as well as policymakers in the region.

This book investigates Ethiopia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, assessing how entrepreneurship and small business development are being fostered and identifying gaps and opportunities for further positive change.The second most populous country in Sub-Saharan Africa, Ethiopia, is marked by a growing economy and a dynamic entrepreneurial landscape. This book adopts a multi-level analytical framework to assess the actors, processes, and institutions that shape entrepreneurship in Ethiopia, capturing dynamics at the macro (national), meso (industry), and micro (firm) levels. The macro-level analysis benchmarks Ethiopia’s ecosystem performance against peer African countries. The meso level evaluates industry-specific support structures, including business networks and the availability and sustainability of business development services (BDS). At the micro level, the focus is on how firms access, use, and are impacted by ecosystem resources and business support services. Combining quantitative and qualitative research, the book shows how industry-specific BDS are integral to the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem.Providing an important case study of the role of entrepreneurship and small businesses in economic and social development, this book will be an important read for researchers across business, economics, and development studies, as well as for policymakers responsible for implementing strategies and policies to support entrepreneurship and small business development.

In 2024, the BRICS alliance expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and is now informally referred to as BRICS+. This book explores the impact of these nations on governance practices and sustainable development in Southern African countries. It examines how BRICS+ countries influence political policies, including trade relationships, investment flows, and diplomatic engagements and how they contribute to or challenge the sustainable development agenda within Southern Africa, addressing issues such as poverty reduction, climate change, and social inequality. It analyzes how BRICS+ interactions affect regional governance frameworks, such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and other regional initiatives and offers insight into how BRICS+ economic activities, including resource extraction and industrialization, impact environmental sustainability efforts in Southern Africa. Further, the book discusses the way BRICS+ states can facilitate the transfer of technology and innovative governance practices to improve sustainable development strategies in the region. A critical assessment of the challenges posed by BRICS+ engagement in terms of ethical governance, corruption, and dependency versus the opportunities for regional empowerment and capacity building is examined in the book. It compares the influence of BRICS+ with other global powers or regional groupings, analysing their different approaches to governance and sustainability and includes specific case studies from Southern African countries to illustrate how connections with these nations have led to significant outcomes—both positive and negative—in governance and sustainability initiatives.The book is primarily aimed at scholars, researchers and advanced students, as well as policymakers and government officials in Southern Africa and BRICS+ countries.

This book seeks to provide an in-depth analysis of the political, governance, and socio-economic landscape of South Africa in the aftermath of apartheid. It examines the complexities and dynamics that have influenced and shaped the development of the country since 1994, identifying the enduring issues and challenges, along with the opportunities present for building a sustainable and inclusive South Africa in the future.The book aims to enhance comprehension of how South Africa can traverse its distinctive development trajectory by examining the wider political context, governance structures, and policy measures. The objective is to analyse the impact of the political and governance structures instituted in the post-apartheid era on the country's developmental path. This encompasses the transformation of public administration and the influence of political dynamics and governance in determining the trajectory of the country's future.In this effort, the book not only explores significant accomplishments since 1994 but also engages in a critical examination of the limitations, governmental shortcomings, and challenges that persistently obstruct the progress of the country. Furthermore, it presents insights and recommendations aimed at enhancing governance, enacting policy reforms, and devising strategies to foster sustainable development.

What is the relationship of the people of Kenya to credit and debt? Exploring two increasingly popular financial services providers, digital lenders, and cooperative societies, Debt and Financial Inclusion in Kenya identifies fundamental flaws in financial inclusion strategies deployed in Kenya and their ability to alleviate poverty.Co-operatives have long been important institutions for low- to middle-income Kenyans, long before the financial inclusion discourse came about. But it was the advent of mobile money in 2008 that transformed Kenya’s financial services industry tremendously and saw different fintech innovations built on the M-Pesa platform. In the last decade or so, there has been a digital credit boom in Kenya with institutions of different kinds, and more recently the government offering microloans to millions of Kenyans, arguing that that credit has the potential to help the poor forge their paths out of poverty. Based on extensive original research, this book examines how digital lenders and Savings and Credit Co-operative Societies (SACCOs) go about extending credit, and how borrowers experience this. The book shows that digital credit is an important component of a Kenyan’s credit mix. However, the use of digital credit varies greatly between people who occupy different income classes. For the poor, who are the targets of financial inclusion, these loans often take the form of ‘bad credit’ which compromises their financial health, leaving them overindebted. The book explains the ways in which the current monetary system does not work for the poor, arguing that true financial inclusion can only be achieved via a fundamental rethinking of the money system.Exposing important problems of speculative profiteering and the financialization of the poor, Debt and Financial Inclusion in Kenya will be an important read for researchers of finance, banking, and development in Africa.

Common market implementation in Africa could potentially alleviate poverty and grow economies. However, despite numerous trading blocs existing in Africa, challenges persist in common market implementation. This book investigates the enablers which could make an important difference, using the East African Community (EAC) as a case study.Drawing on detailed analysis and extensive original research, this book considers the development of East African regional integration, which aims to foster collective economic advancement via the free movement of goods, people, capital, services, labour, and the rights of residence and establishment. It suggests that there are various enablers to integration which are often underutilised, such as funding models, public participation, regional decision-making models, anticorruption initiatives, common market laws, automated processes, sanction mechanisms, and research and information symmetry. The book argues that correctly harnessing these enablers would have a transformative impact both on the EAC and on other trading blocs in Africa, such as the SADC, ECOWAS, COMESA, and AfCFTA.This book will be an important read for researchers and practitioners in international trade, regional integration, African development, and economics.

Building on a transdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach to supply chain management, this book critically examines strategic supply chain analytics trends, developments, and critical success factors in the contemporary digital business world. In the context of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues related to supply chain analytics, it explores how organizations operating in African economies can deploy supply chain analytics technologies to gain real-time insights into green procurement, risk modelling, and environmental compliance.Recent developments in supply chain management heighten the need for the acquisition of new digital skills by strategic leaders when it comes to the infusion of supply chain analytics into evidence-driven decision-making. This book critically interrogates the relevance and effectiveness of strategic supply chain analytics in the digital world. It encompasses the strategic issues surrounding robotics, diagnostic analysis, machine learning, prescriptive analysis, predictive analysis, descriptive analytics, smart warehousing, and blockchain technology, within the context of supply chain management. It also identifies the transformation imperatives and policy directions for crafting robust supply chain analytics strategies.This unique collection will be a valuable resource for researchers, scholars, policymakers, and students of supply chain management, logistics, technology management, and innovation.

Africa stands at a critical juncture in its development trajectory, grappling with the twin challenges of climate vulnerability and persistent socio-economic inequality. As global attention shifts towards sustainable development and climate action, there is growing recognition that Africa’s green transition must be inclusive, innovative, and financially viable. However, access to climate finance and support for green entrepreneurship remain underdeveloped across much of the continent, limiting the realisation of its vast potential for sustainable growth. This book explores how innovative financial instruments and entrepreneurial models can drive Africa’s green economy agenda.Drawing on case studies, policy analysis, and African-led practices, it examines the transformative roles of green bonds, impact investing, blended finance, and digital financial tools in supporting climate-aligned ventures. It also interrogates the institutional, regulatory, and capacity challenges that hinder the scaling of green entrepreneurship and proposes practical pathways for reform. The book gives prominence to African agencies and actors, showcasing how local stakeholders, particularly women, youth, and community-based enterprises, are crafting context-sensitive solutions that bridge environmental sustainability with economic inclusion. It emphasises the need to integrate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, mobilise domestic and international capital, and align national policy frameworks with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to accelerate a just green transition. Further, the book offers a rare Africa-centred perspective, highlighting local innovations and solutions in green finance, financial inclusion, and sustainable entrepreneurship in Africa.This book is essential reading for scholars, policymakers, development practitioners, financial institutions, and innovation hubs interested in Africa’s sustainable future.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) represents a bold and historic step toward regional economic integration, offering potential for intra-African trade, job creation, and inclusive development. Yet, the success of this ambitious initiative hinges not only on tariff liberalisation and infrastructure development but also on the ability of African economies to build a cohesive and interoperable digital financial architecture.This book provides an in-depth and interdisciplinary examination of how financial technology (FinTech) can support the realisation of AfCFTA’s goals. It explores key pillars such as digital payment systems, mobile money interoperability, blockchain for trade finance and supply chains, digital identity and Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols, cybersecurity, and the harmonisation of regulatory frameworks. Drawing on diverse African case studies, the book highlights both opportunities and structural challenges in building a secure, inclusive, and innovative digital financial ecosystem across the continent. By linking technological solutions to institutional reforms, it demonstrates how FinTech can enhance cross-border trade, bridge financial gaps, and empower small businesses and informal sector participants. The book’s themes directly align with current high-level policy goals, including Africa’s Agenda 2063, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and ongoing digital transformation efforts.The book is essential reading for academics, students of digital financial inclusion, FinTech regulation, and innovation policy in emerging markets, especially within the frameworks of institutional and regional integration theories. It will also appeal to policymakers, regulators, FinTech innovators, and development practitioners interested in Africa’s digital and economic integration journey.