Transformation In Africa Research Articles

Technological Capability, Inclusive Growth and Structural Transformation in Africa

ABSTRACT Some studies have shown that economic growth in Africa has not been sustainable, transformative, nor inclusive. This is very perplexing, considering that resource-poor East Asian countries have not only achieved high growth rates but have done so while alleviating poverty and becoming major players in the global economy. Despite the recognition that technology was instrumental in the success story of East Asian countries, there have been few empirical studies that focus on how technology drives economic growth in Africa. Based on a sample of forty-one African countries (2005–2020), this article uses the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimation technique to investigate the extent to which technological capability plays an important role on economic growth of African countries. The results from the empirical analysis suggest, inter alia, that technology, investment in physical capital, macroeconomic and political stability are important determinants of growth in Africa. The article suggests that African countries should intentionally strengthen their technological capabilities, to leverage new opportunities in emerging frontier industries, foster inclusive growth, and be adequately prepared for the fourth industrial revolution.

Entrepreneurship and Social Change: Putting People at the Center of Social Transformation in Africa

Entrepreneurship and Social Change: Putting People at the Center of Social Transformation in Africa

Where is the market? Assessing the role of dryer performance and marketability of solar-dried products in acceptance of solar dryers amongst smallholder farmers

Agricultural technological development is a crucial strategy for agricultural commercialization and socio-economic transformation in Africa. However, a key challenge to technology use in agriculture remains the limited farmer acceptance of unfamiliar technologies. This paper uses a sample of 245 okra farmers drawn from northern Uganda to assess the drivers of the farmer acceptance of solar drying technology. On the basis of drying performance, farmers perceive the solar dryer to perform better than the open sun-drying method. Structural equation modelling results show that the drying rate and perceived product quality are the main determinants of farmer perceptions on product marketability. Further, product marketability drives acceptance of solar dryers among farmers. We conclude that acceptance of solar dryers is dependent on: i) the drying rate, ii) favorable perceptions towards product quality, and iii) perceived marketability of the solar-dried product. We call for policy action on intensification of efforts that promote solar drying technology, including supporting local artisans to fabricate dryers, to enable increased value addition and consumption of nutritious foods.

The SDG agenda and university transformation in Africa: The decolonial turn deferred?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed in September 2015 set the scene for a renewed and ambitious development framework in a global context of widening inequalities within and between countries, global economic crises, conflict and climate change. Higher education is framed in several of the targets that make up SDG 4 and is also argued as central to achieving all 17 goals. However, the extent to which they engage with higher education in the context of calls for responsive, decolonised higher education remains underexplored. It is this gap that this paper addresses, arguing that while the SDGs take a broad approach to education the focus on specific targets and indicators limit states’ autonomy by de-territorialising local frameworks (Sayed & Moriarty, 2020). As a result, universities in Africa struggle to assert their agendas as power is overly located at the supra national level. We use the case of South African higher education to examine how and in what ways the national education agenda articulates with the SDG agenda. In particular, we focus on the lack of a clear equity and anti-racist focus in the SDG agenda which fails to engage with the disciplinary hold of racism over knowledge. We use Boaventura de Sousa Santos’ (2014) notion of difficult questions in higher education with weak answers to address what a decolonised and deracialised higher education system might look like. In particular, we articulate how Western domination has marginalised knowledge present in the global South. In so doing, we describe the influence of the SDGs in higher education noting the strides made but also their limited application in the global South and the decolonial turn. We argue that the decolonisation of knowledge in higher education is a collective process in which disruptive disciplinary practices contribute to cognitive global justice.

Social Protection and Rural Transformation in Africa

This article develops a conceptual framework on pathways through which noncontributory social protection can support resilient and inclusive agricultural growth in rural Africa. It draws insights from a review of rigorous empirical evidence on the impacts of cash transfers and multifaceted cash plus programs on a range of relevant productive outcomes, including accumulation of productive assets, inputs and farm management practices, off-farm labor and nonfarm enterprises, and farm production and income. This review demonstrates an emerging consensus in the literature: that access to social protection programs contributes positively to increasing the productive asset holdings of rural people, increasing the use of improved inputs and farm practices, and shifting away from casual wage labor arrangements. Moreover, there is limited evidence on heterogeneous effects across different baseline characteristics (income, sex, and labor-constrained households, among others). Finally, the article highlights how social protection programs should be considered an integral part of broader rural and agricultural development strategies in order to achieve a more productive, resilient, and equitable rural transformation in Africa.

Editorial: Violent transformations in Africa: coup d'etat, civil wars and terrorism in the crisis of democracy

Editorial: Violent transformations in Africa: coup d'etat, civil wars and terrorism in the crisis of democracy

An Assessment of Agenda 2063’s First Ten-Year Implementation Plan and its Implication on the African Continental Free Trade Area

Trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) began on 1 January 2021. The AfCFTA intends to bring African countries closer in terms of economic integration and has numerous potential gains for state parties and the continent at large. However, the policies on continental integration are not new to Africa. To improve continental economic integration, the Organisation of African Unity and its successor, the African Union, adopted the Abuja Treaty, the Action Plan for Boosting Intra-African Trade, and the Tripartite Free Trade Area. These policies have not been implemented yet, which creates uncertainty regarding the implementation of AfCFTA. To achieve its objectives, the AfCFTA requires member states to implement a complementary set of measures as part of Agenda 2063’s First Ten-Year Implementation Plan ranging from 2014 to 2023, which seeks to accelerate structural transformation in Africa. The implementation will ensure that some non-tariff barriers are eliminated to facilitate intra-African trade. However, the low aggregated implementation score of 51 per cent against the 2021 targets might have negative implications for the AfCFTA. The member states and regional economic communities are far from meeting the 2023 targets. There is low progress for Aspiration 1 of Agenda 2063 with an overall score of 37 per cent against the 2021 targets. Therefore, the article analyses the implication of the implementation or lack thereof of the First Ten-Year Implementation Plan on AfCFTA.

The political economy of the African Continental Free Trade Area and structural transformation in Africa

ABSTRACTThe post-colonial economy of African countries has continued to manifest all the characteristics of its colonial origins in terms of its structure, direction, and composition. Export of primary commodities continue to take precedence over exports of manufactured products. The African Continental Free Trade Area emerged after series of negotiations to address the problem of structural transformation through value added production, services and increased agglomeration in African economies. This paper examines the extent to which the AfCFTA can foster structural transformation and socio-economic development in Africa. The paper found that despite the challenges that may affect the implementation of the agreement, AfCFTA holds great potentials for the realisation of the social transformation in Africa through creation of regional value chains, unlocking the opportunities in free movement of factors of production and enhancing a stronger voice for Africa in the negotiation of trade and investment agreements with other regions of the world.

Position of services and trade in Аfrica and their impact on export diversification

The article provides a detailed assessment of the potential role of services in enhancing export diversification in Africa.In addition, the potential of SMEs (small and medium-sized businesses) in promoting the key role of services in the growth of production and competitiveness is assessed. The author also examines the key factors undermining the eff ectiveness of export diversifi cation and economic transformation in Africa. African exports continue to focus on a narrow range of commodities, but several African countries have achieved a certain level of export diversification over the past decade. The higher the level of development of the service sector, reflected by the variety and quality of services sold, the better the access of domestic firms to competitive key services. As a result, the author comes to the conclusion that traditional services, such as travel and transport, dominate the trade in services, covering more than two thirds of the total trade in services. Despite the importance of simplifying production and supply links, traditional services do not have a direct impact on the complexity and diversity of the export basket,which, as can be seen, increases due to services with high knowledge intensity, such as ICT. The development of trade in services promotes inclusive growth by reducing poverty and inequality and contributes to the achievement of the 2063 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Livestock solutions to regenerate soils and landscapes for sustainable agri-food systems transformation in Africa

Agri-food systems approaches have gained international recognition over the last years. The role of livestock—both in mixed crop-livestock and pastoral systems—in sustainable agri-food systems transformation remains contested. In this review paper we present new analyses of original data from an international livestock expert survey, a quantitative search in Web of Science, and a literature review to unravel the potential for livestock systems to sustainably transform agri-food systems through regenerating soils and restoring degraded landscapes. We (i) illustrate how livestock is important for people and planet alike; (ii) review how to harness livestock's potential for rehabilitation of soils and landscapes; (iii) demonstrate successful case studies of livestock solutions such as improved forages for cut-and-carry systems and grazing management; and (iv) identify four critical steps required for lasting change at continental scale. We conclude that livestock solutions can be key catalysts for sustainable agri-food systems transformation that merit accelerated public and private investments. More research is needed to develop concrete, operational and practical livestock solutions, and measure, monitor and report their contributions and progress toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Trade reform, infrastructure investment, and structural transformation in Africa: Evidence from Guinea-Bissau

This study examines the impacts of trade reform and infrastructure investment on structural transformation and poverty alleviation in Guinea-Bissau using a dynamic computable general equilibrium model. We found that partial or complete tariff rate cuts accompanied by a scaling-up infrastructure investment funded by debt only positively impact macro-and micro-outcomes but do not generate structural transformation. Conversely, trade reform and infrastructure investment funded by a mix of debt and tax rates on the firm's income generate structural transformation with labor reallocation from agriculture to non-agricultural sectors. This structural transformation pattern favors the poor and contributes to reducing income inequality over time.

Digital tools and agricultural market transformation in Africa: Why are they not at scale yet, and what will it take to get there?

Despite enthusiasm for the potential of digital innovations to transform agricultural markets in Africa, progress made thus far has been limited to small-scale experiments that often fail to scale up. Realizing the full potential of digital innovations – tools, technologies, applications, and services – in Africa requires not just further development of these solutions at meaningful scales, but also more nuanced evidence from both successful and unsuccessful scaling efforts. This paper reviews the conceptual and empirical evidence on the transformative potential of digital innovations for African agricultural markets with an in-depth examination of solutions that have been rolled out to date in the continent. Specifically, the review addresses the following questions: (i) how can digital innovations improve the functioning of agricultural markets in Africa? (ii) what explains the apparent disconnect of most pilots to scale-ups? (iii) what is required to realize their full potential? and (iv) what are the emerging risks and opportunities associated with digital innovations for agricultural marketing? Although our review of the landscape and literature on market-focused digital innovations in Africa identifies several reasons to remain optimistic, the prevailing disconnect between pilots and scale-ups merits further evaluation. In particular, there is a need for more systematic assessments of both successes and failures at both the piloting and scaling stages.

Wild and Indigenous Foods (WIF) and Urban Food Security in Northern Namibia

Rapid urbanisation and food system transformation in Africa have been accompanied by growing food insecurity, reduced dietary diversity, and an epidemic of non-communicable disease. While the contribution of wild and indigenous foods (WIF) to the quality of rural household diets has been the subject of longstanding attention, research on their consumption and role among urban households is more recent. This paper provides a case study of the consumption of WIF in the urban corridor of northern Namibia with close ties to the surrounding rural agricultural areas. The research methodology involved a representative household food security survey of 851 urban households using tablets and ODK Collect. The key methods for data analysis included descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression. The main findings of the analysis included the fact that WIFs are consumed by most households, but with markedly different frequencies. Frequent consumers of WIF are most likely to be female-centred households, in the lowest income quintiles, and with the highest lived poverty. Frequent consumption is not related to food security, but is higher in households with low dietary diversity. Infrequent or occasional consumers tend to be higher-income households with low lived poverty and higher levels of food security. We conclude that frequent consumers use WIF to diversify their diets and that occasional consumers eat WIF more for reasons of cultural preference and taste than necessity. Recommendations for future research include the nature of the supply chains that bring WIF to urban consumers, intra-household consumption of WIF, and in-depth interviews about the reasons for household consumption of WIF and preferences for certain types of wild food.

Triple Helix Model: Leveraging Endogenous Innovation Systems for Economic Transformation in Africa

Triple Helix Model: Leveraging Endogenous Innovation Systems for Economic Transformation in Africa

Digital Transformation in Pharmaceutical Supply Chain: An African Case

Abstract Background: The pharmaceutical supply chain, pivotal in ensuring timely and efficient delivery of medical goods, has experienced significant challenges in the African context. Infrastructure deficiencies, fragmented distribution networks, and limited transparency have historically been obstacles in ensuring the consistent flow of essential drugs and treatments. Materials and Methods: The transformative power of digital technologies in reconfiguring the pharmaceutical supply chain across Africa. Drawing on multiple case studies, this paper presents evidence of how technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are being employed to enhance traceability, improve inventory management, and optimize distribution routes. These digital innovations are not only ensuring the integrity of medicines by reducing counterfeit products but are also enhancing the agility of the supply chain to respond to sudden market and health demands. Results: Executed in a thorough data analysis strategy to interpret the results and extract significant insights by investigating the challenges faced in this digital transformation, which include the need for skills development, infrastructure investment, and the creation of supportive regulatory environments. The study underscores the role of partnerships between governments, international organizations, and private enterprises in driving these innovations. Conclusion: While the journey of digital transformation in Africa’s pharmaceutical supply chain is ongoing, there are promising strides being made. By embracing digital solutions, Africa is positioning itself to better tackle health challenges and ensuring that its populace has access to genuine and essential medicines. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of digital transition strategies and offers actionable insights for stakeholders involved in global health and supply chain management.

The Role of Digital Transformation in Africa’s Regional Integration

The Role of Digital Transformation in Africa’s Regional Integration

Foreign Direct Investment and Structural Transformation in Africa

Foreign Direct Investment and Structural Transformation in Africa

The Soninke Civilization: The Social Mutations of the Contemporary <i>Soninkara</i>

In this paper, the author aims to study the causes of the social mutations of the Soninke society form the colonial epoch to the present day. In fact, we have noticed that the western colonization which symbolizes a huge cultural aggression against the African societies in general, has brought about big transformations in Africa in general and in Soninkara particularly. Since this historical event, the society of the Soninke people has been undergoing a huge cultural influence of the whites through the capitalist system, the French school and the modernism. The traditions and the way of life of the Soninke people keep changing under a bad contamination of the modern Western civilization characterized especially by liberty (freedom of speech and opinion) and a so-called equality between the individuals. And things have started falling apart in Soninkara hence the social conflicts and the loss of good values.

Agricultural Transformation in Africa: Lessons learnt from the Domestication of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Processes in Lesotho

Agricultural Transformation in Africa: Lessons learnt from the Domestication of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Processes in Lesotho

Editing for change: From global bibliometrics to a decolonial aporetics of form in South African journal publishing

The scholarly journal is an increasingly homogenised global institution marked by pro forma writing, standardised processes of review and production and uniform design aesthetics. Recognising that this model does not necessarily serve the interdisciplinary agenda of a small community of music scholars in South Africa, the journal South African Music Studies has resisted absorption into large corporate publishing houses. The importance of remaining independent became clear in 2015 and 2016 when the most important student revolts since 1976 forced the editors to reconsider the responsibility of the journal to publish content that responded in interesting and significant ways to the national #FeesMustFall crisis. This paper discusses some of the strategies followed by the editors to foreground – and indeed, to privilege – Africa-centred modes of writing and reasoning during this turbulent time. These decolonial strategies included reconceptualising the role of editor as a proactive figure and employing novel modes of structural and visual design. Not without its pitfalls, this editorial approach and its resultant controversies raised important legal questions about freedom of expression and about the scholarly journal as an institution of knowledge production and transformation in Africa.