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on Africa |
| By: | Dohse, Dirk; Fehrenbacher, Sophia |
| Abstract: | African innovators typically suffer from severe resource constraints and need to develop strategies to cope with these constraints. This paper focusses on external knowledge sourcing and, in particular, on the role of cooperation as a means to compensate for missing resources. Findings suggest that domestic inter-firm cooperation is of outstanding importance for firm-level innovation in Nigeria, whereas cooperation with other partners (research institutions, foreign firms, consultants, or the government) has no sizable impact on the innovative performance of Nigerian firms. Moreover, we show that it is in particular young firms and firms suffering from financial constraints that benefit from cooperation, whereas foreign-owned firms benefit less. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the drivers of firm-level innovation in sub-Saharan Africa and have important implications for firm strategies and innovation policy. |
| Keywords: | Resource-constrained innovation, Knowledge sourcing, Inter-firm cooperation, Coactive learning, Africa |
| JEL: | D22 L25 O32 O36 O55 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:ifwkie:341859 |
| By: | Sambit Bhattacharyya; Chirantan Chatterjee; Stephen Lartey |
| Abstract: | How do global crises affect development aid effectiveness? We explore this question by analyzing the impact of 2008 global financial crisis on development aid effectiveness in Africa using a novel triple-difference design (aid by donor x governance quality x trade exposure) estimated pre and post 2008 with nightlights data across 41 African countries observed over the period 2000 to 2021. We find Chinese aid to be effective in well governed and trade exposed countries following the crisis whereas OECD aid lost its governance dependent advantage. Structural break test confirms 2008 as a turning point for Chinese aid effectiveness. Total aid concentration outperforms aid diversification by 79% relative to pre-crisis patterns in terms of effectiveness. US aid appears to be inequality reducing post 2008. Chinese aid seems effective post 2008 irrespective of its modalities 'ODA like' and 'other official flows' whereas US aid is effective only under the modality 'economic'. The results appear to be robust to GDP as an alternative outcome variable and placebo test. |
| Keywords: | foreign aid, economic development, Africa, China |
| JEL: | F35 O19 O47 O55 |
| Date: | 2026–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:een:camaaa:2026-59 |
| By: | Anderson, Siwan; Du Plessis, Sophia; Parsa, Sahar; Robinson, James A. |
| Abstract: | Research on female political representation has tended to overlook the traditional role of women as leaders across many societies. Our study aims to address this gap by investigating the enduring influence of historical female political leadership on contemporary formal political representation in Africa. We test for this persistence by compiling two original datasets: one detailing female political leadership in precolonial societies and another on current female representation in local elections. Our findings indicate that ethnic groups historically allowing women in leadership roles in politics do tend to have a higher proportion of elected female representatives in today's formal local political institutions. We also observe that institutional, rather than economic, factors significantly shape the traditional political influence of women. Moreover, in accordance with historical accounts, we uncover evidence of a reversal of female political power due to institutional changes enforced by colonial powers. |
| Date: | 2025–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:20235 |
| By: | Züfle, Simon; Bickenbach, Frank |
| Abstract: | The global proliferation of organizations like incubators, accelerators, and co-working spaces is particularly striking on the African continent. Over the last 10+ years, a large number of such organizations have been established in African countries, which are mainly referred to as (innovation) hubs. However, along with the strong growth in the number of innovation hubs, a vast increase in the diversity of these organizations can also be observed, resulting in a general fuzziness of the hub concept. In this critical review, we describe the origin and the evolution of the concept. We contribute to the literature by providing conceptual clarity and disentangling the fuzziness of the innovation hub concept. We introduce a new definition of innovation hubs and develop four key differentiation criteria. Based on that, we provide avenues for advancing research on innovation hubs. Our review also entails practical implications, as entrepreneurs in African countries are wondering which type of hub they should choose for developing their business ideas and growing their entrepreneurial ventures. |
| Keywords: | Innovation, Technology, Africain, cubator, accelerator, innovation hub |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:ifwkie:341698 |
| By: | Kidane, Won L. |
| Abstract: | This Article examines China’s and India’s differing investment treaty and dispute settlement experiences and the resulting implications for Africa. It attempts to answer the question of whether there is evidence of China’s and India’s attempt to take advantage of the default structural imbalance enabled by centuries of international investment laws and institutions that favor the investor. The Article begins by presenting the background of the current economic reality and trends that necessitate the evaluation of the existing rules and institutions. It then presents a detailed assessment of this phenomenon by focusing on the investment cases brought against India for context, followed by a critical appraisal of India’s reaction to the perceived deficiencies of the existing system as evidenced by its new BIT Model Text and the text’s implications for Africa. Next, the Article evaluates the most important body of evidence that comes in the form of bilateral investment treaties, i.e., China’s and India’s investment treaties with African states. Finally, it offers a summary of conclusions. |
| Date: | 2026–07–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:lawarc:2egqd_v1 |
| By: | Yeandle, Alex; Doyle, David |
| Abstract: | Mobile money platforms are ubiquitous in many emerging economies. Hailed for raising financial inclusion and economic wellbeing, governments have now turned to mobile payments as a source of tax revenue. Transaction levies are often regressive, unpopular, and can encourage a return to cash. We present experimental evidence that they may also harm tax morale, a core component of the social contract between citizen and state. We present results from a survey experiment in Ghana, in which priming a controversial mobile transaction levy significantly lowers support for the state's right to collect taxes and willingness to comply with tax laws. We combine this with focus group discussions and analyse effect heterogeneity to examine two pre-registered explanations: transaction taxes cost citizens more than they expect to gain (reciprocity) and provoke particular backlash from non-government voters (partisanship). Our findings suggest that taxing mobile money can undermine efforts to expand fiscal capacity, while raising important mechanistic and policy questions for future research. |
| Keywords: | Africa;experiment;mobile money;public opinion;tax morale |
| JEL: | J1 E6 |
| Date: | 2026–06–24 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:140135 |
| By: | Willem Boshoff (University of Stellenbosch) |
| Abstract: | South African competition policy has long pursued industrial-policy objectives alongside its core competition mandate. Public-interest considerations were embedded in merger control from 1998, and the 2018 amendments gave them equal legal status with the competition assessment. These developments preceded the current European debate on using competition policy to advance innovation and other industrial policy objectives in the EU. This paper examines how industrial-policy objectives have been pursued in South African competition policy over the past thirty years. In merger control, these are often advanced through conditions involving ESOPs, HDP ownership commitments, and supplier and enterprise-development funds, as well as through potential-competition theories of merger harm. They are also advanced by similar types of remedies following market inquiries and, increasingly, abuse and cartel investigations. |
| Keywords: | competition policy, industrial policy, merger control, public interest, ownership transformation, market inquiries, South Africa, potential competition |
| JEL: | L40 K21 O25 |
| Date: | 2026–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rza:ersawp:360 |