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on Africa |
| By: | Joel Cariolle |
| Abstract: | This paper reviews the concepts, mechanisms, and empirical evidence on the diffusion of digital technologies (DTs) in developing economies, focusing on the distinct infrastructural layers of connectivity—from first-mile submarine cables to last-mile mobile and broadband networks. It examines how infrastructure gaps, usage disparities, and technological divides shape digitalization pathways and their socio-economic impacts, with a particular emphasis on lower-income regions like Sub-Saharan Africa. The analysis highlights how submarine cables reduce connectivity costs and expand Internet access, yet also reveals uneven benefits due to limited absorptive capacity and new digital vulnerabilities. By synthesizing evidence on rural mobile coverage, urban Internet spillovers, and trade integration, the paper emphasizes the need for coordinated policies to bridge digital divides and foster inclusive digital transformation. |
| Keywords: | Digital technologies, Connectivity, Internet, Mobile, Infrastructure, Submarine cable, Mobile networks, Africa |
| JEL: | O14 O33 L96 O55 F63 |
| Date: | 2026–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wip:wpaper:96 |
| By: | Federico M. Accursi; Raul Bajo-Buenestado |
| Abstract: | Mini-grids are emerging as a key solution to electrify access-deficit communities, yet their effectiveness in improving energy access and household welfare remains underexplored. This paper provides novel evidence from Tanzania, where a policy reform doubled the number of mini-grids since 2008. Exploiting spatial and temporal variation created by the distance to the households in proximity to mini-grids and the timing of their deployment, and using data from two different nationally representative surveys, we find that mini-grids increase local electrification rates by 10-23 percentage points — a result corroborated by a surge in nighttime light intensity near newly deployed projects. We also show that mini-grids reduce reliance on polluting fuel-based lighting and drive the uptake of electric-powered devices. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest the surplus generated by renewable-based mini-grids nearly offsets their costs. |
| Keywords: | energy access, mini-grids, nighttime light, energy poverty, Sub-Saharan Africa, sustainable development |
| JEL: | L94 O13 Q48 Q56 Q58 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12453 |
| By: | Vanessa van den Boogaard; Yannick Lokaya Bokasola; Gayatri Sahgal; Caleb Jérémie Dohou |
| Abstract: | This paper explores the role of informal taxation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and aims to shed light on informal fiscal realities and the implications of informal tax institutions for governance and state legitimacy. Relying on mixed-methods data from household surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions across Kinshasa and North Kivu, it focuses on three areas of inquiry: the nature of informal taxation; citizens' perceptions of formal and informal taxing authorities; and the impact of informal taxation on perceptions of the state's legitimacy. |
| Keywords: | Taxation, State legitimacy, Statebuilding, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2026-12 |
| By: | Bienvenu Akowedaho Dagoudo; Natalia Vershinina (Audencia Business School); William Karani Murithi |
| Abstract: | As families engage in entrepreneurship, particularly in developing economies, women's engagement in such activities is subject to the traditional cultures, norms and values of the communities to which they belong. In this article, we aim to investigate how the socio- cultural context influences women's entrepreneurship as women engage in "family entrepreneuring". Design/methodology/approach The study draws on an inductive qualitative approach to explore how multiple cultural, social and economic contexts encourage women's entrepreneurship and, thus, position them at the centre of family entrepreneuring within this community. Using snowballing techniques, we analyse narratives from 51 women entrepreneurs, generated through semi-structured interviews, to reveal key insights into the practice of family entrepreneuring. Findings The findings reveal the complex socio-cultural context within the "Adja" community, where polygamy, a traditional and cultural practice, enables the transfer of culturally and socially embedded informal knowledge. The study explains how women's entrepreneuring activities are supported by informal in-family apprenticeships, resulting in family members learning specific skills whilst also experiencing the feeling of belonging to the family. Showcasing the heterogeneity of contexts, particularly those found in Africa, this study challenges the normative view within the Global North and the dominance of the "heroic male" in entrepreneurship by showcasing how women (especially matriarchs) are significant actors in training other women, co-wives, daughters and relatives in family entrepreneuring. Originality/value Thus, this study contributes to the extant literature on family entrepreneuring by revealing an unusual case of women from polygamous families becoming the focal actors in family entrepreneuring activity and challenging the culturally ascribed gender roles to evolve into the breadwinners in their households, as well as focusing on how this process is driven by endogenous knowledge exchange. |
| Keywords: | women entrepreneurship, endogenous knowledge, polygamy, family entrepreneurial, culture, Africa, Southwest Benin |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04810222 |
| By: | Michel Beine; Arnaud Bourgain; Elisabeth Kempter; Melissa Tornari |
| Abstract: | This paper investigates the impact of a one-week entrepreneurial coaching program on overall and irregular migration intentions among young adults in the Dakar metropolitan area, Senegal. Using a randomized controlled trial implemented in partnership with an entrepreneurship training center in Dakar, we estimate treatment effects by comparing baseline and follow-up outcomes and address partial compliance using instrumental-variable methods. We find that participation in entrepreneurial coaching reduces emigration intentions by 12–20%, with effects concentrated among individuals connected to the labor market. The program indirectly reduces intended irregular migration by encouraging some individuals to remain in Senegal. We do not find that participation affected the migration mode of those who still intend to migrate. Overall, our findings provide experimental evidence from Senegal that entrepreneurship-based active labor market policies can shape migration aspirations by strengthening local economic attachment among working youth. |
| Keywords: | migration intention, migration deterrence, randomized experiment, entrepreneurship, irregular migration, Sub-saharan Africa |
| JEL: | O15 O55 F22 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12486 |
| By: | Sackey, Lawrence; Nortah-Ocansey, Derick A.; Mensah, Daniel |
| Abstract: | Macroeconomic imbalances as manifested through persistent inflationary pressures, exchange-rate volatility, and sustained fiscal stress, have become a defining feature of Ghana's macroeconomic environment over the past decade. While these imbalances intensified globally following the 2007-2008 financial crisis, their effects have been particularly pronounced in emerging and developing economies, where financial systems are bank-dominated and highly sensitive to macroeconomic shocks. In Ghana, the period since 2019 has been marked by severe macroeconomic disruptions that have fundamentally reshaped banking sector behavior and private-sector credit dynamics as the banking industry constitute more than 76% of the total asset base of the financial subsector with very high interconnectedness with the insurance subsector and others. This policy brief examines the effect of macroeconomic imbalances on bank lending in Ghana, with particular emphasis on exchange-rate movements, inflation, and fiscal conditions. Bank lending behavior is analyzed through loans and advances to customers, asset quality, and banks' risk posture. Using a panel dataset covering 18 universal banks over the period 2015-2024, the study applies fixed effects and dynamic System Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimation techniques to account for persistence in lending behavior, endogeneity, and unobserved bank-specific heterogeneity. The findings show that bank lending in Ghana is highly persistent and strongly constrained by deteriorating asset quality, as reflected in elevated non-performing loans. Exchange-rate movements exert a significant influence on lending, largely through nominal and valuation effects associated with currency depreciation. Inflation and fiscal stress primarily affect lending indirectly, operating through tighter monetary conditions, higher interest rates, and heightened risk aversion. Persistent Fiscal imbalances as captured by weak primary balances and rising public debt are found to suppress bank lending by increasing macroeconomic uncertainty and reinforcing crowding-out effects. Overall, the results indicate that macroeconomic imbalances shape bank lending in Ghana more through risk management, pricing behavior, and balance-sheet adjustments than through sustained real credit expansion. The study highlights the importance of credible macroeconomic policies, fiscal discipline, and forward guidance in restoring confidence, strengthening bank risk appetite, and supporting sustainable private-sector credit growth. |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:gabpbs:336967 |
| By: | Nago Zeufack, Minette; Ward, Bob; Pokem, Dany; Rigaud, Kanta Kumari |
| Abstract: | The Congo Basin forests, including the world’s second largest rainforest after the Amazon, cover more than 300 million hectares across 11 countries in Central Africa. They represent the world’s largest land-based carbon sink, and provide a unique and vital biodiversity haven. Development, commercial and demographic pressures have increased considerably in the Congo Basin, particularly since 2010, leading to rising deforestation and degradation in its forests. While recent analysis has suggested that the rate of deforestation has decreased significantly over the past five years, and that it is now less than half, in percentage terms, of that experienced in the Amazon Basin, nearly 10% of the Congo Basin’s forest area was lost between 1990 and 2025. There are also signs that the impacts of climate change are beginning to adversely affect the absorption of carbon dioxide by the Congo Basin forests. Given these threats, this is a critical moment for the forests’ future. This report highlights the gap between the value of the natural capital of the Congo Basin rainforest and the forestry revenues of the countries that cover it. The authors show how destructive and degrading forestry practices in the countries of the Congo Basin currently produce only a fraction of the value of the available natural capital and call for a genuine ‘fair deal’ that would enable the protection of the Congo Basin and the sustainable development of the countries that cover it. |
| Keywords: | climate change; COMIFAC; Congo Basin; Congo Basin Forest Partnership; Congo Basin forests; deforestation; forest degradation; forest protection; sustainable development; Tropical Forest Forever Facility |
| JEL: | R14 J01 |
| Date: | 2025–11–17 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:137090 |