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on Africa |
| By: | Greyling, Talita; Rossouw, Stephanie; Burger, Martijn J. |
| Abstract: | Positive affect and life evaluation are positively correlated in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), but the relationship is much weaker than in Western countries, revealing a disconnect between how people feel and how they judge their lives. Using Gallup World Poll microdata (2013-2024) for 39 SSA and 27 Western countries, we construct a metric that measures the difference in positive affect and life evaluation scores (named PA-LE balance) and apply eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) with SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to uncover its drivers. Our results show that the PA-LE balance for SSA has a wider distribution, and more than two-thirds of individuals are classified as "cheerfully discontented" (positive balance). In contrast, Western countries have a narrower distribution with approximately the same number of individuals classified as "cheerfully discontented" and "contentedly despairing" (negative balance). Uncovering the drivers of these observed differences in the PA-LE balance reveals that the most important predictors are the same across SSA and Western countries; two subjective factors, individual optimism and negative affect, account for roughly two-thirds of the variation in the balance. Further analyses show that low economic optimism, combined with low negative affect, is characteristic of the African scenario, meaning people feel happier than their life evaluations suggest. This suggests that, amid low levels of optimism due to resource constraints and low expectations, especially regarding youth prospects, strong social ties and satisfaction with one's place buffer against daily worry, sadness, or stress and sustain higher positive affect, creating a situation of cheerful discontent. |
| Keywords: | Life evaluation, positive affect, Africa, XGBoost, SHAP |
| JEL: | I31 O55 C55 Z13 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1688 |
| By: | Colette Salemi; Sebastian Anti; Jonathan Rigberg; Karishma Silva; Johannes Hoogeveen |
| Abstract: | One in five refugees live in camps or camp-like settings, and three-quarters of encamped refugees are in sub-Saharan Africa. No reliable public data has systematically tracked camp locations, operations, or populations over time. To address this, we introduce the African Refugee Camps Dataset (ARCD), a geospatial panel dataset. We describe its creation and use ARCD to analyze major trends over 25 years. We then show two applications combining ARCD with complementary data. First, we assess spatial features of camp locations compared to stratified random sites. Camps align with logistical guidelines—flat terrain, moderate vegetation—but are often near borders, protected areas, and far from provincial capitals. Second, we estimate the effect of camp openings on forest and vegetation cover using a differences-in-differences approach. Camp establishment reduces forest cover by 1–2 percentage points within two years, largely due to land clearing for shelter, infrastructure, and roads. |
| Keywords: | deforestation, geospatial data, refugee camps, spatial analysis, sub-saharan africa |
| JEL: | C81 F22 J15 O18 O55 Q56 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hic:wpaper:442 |
| By: | Timilsina, Govinda R. |
| Abstract: | This study investigates the factors responsible for the poor performance of 67 electric utilities in 47 countries, using descriptive data from the World Bank, the International Energy Agency, the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and national sources. The findings show that both cost-side and revenue-side factors are responsible for the poor financial performance of electric utilities. More than two-thirds of vertically integrated utilities and electricity distribution utilities are unable to cover their operational and debt service costs by their revenues. The main causes of the poor financial performance are high fuel costs (particularly oil), low capacity factors, low capital and labor productivity, high transmission and distribution losses, and leakage in electricity bill collections. The study finds that in these countries, despite their much lower per capita income, consumers face relatively higher electricity tariffs than in many countries around the world. The study also finds that if the transmission and distribution losses were reduced to the current level of South Africa (11 percent) and the leakages in bill collection were eliminated, several electric utilities that are currently operating at a loss would have higher revenue than their operational cost. The findings indicate that policy makers in the region should focus on a portfolio of policies, including switching from expensive generation to emerging cheaper options, improving factor productivities, having efficient institutions and governance, reducing transmission and distribution losses, improving bill collection, and reforming tariffs. The policy priorities could vary across countries, depending on the roles of various factors contributing to poor financial performance. |
| Date: | 2025–11–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:11257 |
| By: | Ayoki, Milton |
| Abstract: | Following the December 2023 withdrawal of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), mineral flows across the Rwanda-Congo border have undergone significant transformation. This paper examines how Rwanda's newly established "border labs"—processing facilities and certification centers positioned at strategic border crossings—have become critical nodes in the reconfiguration of Central Africa's coltan and gold supply chains. Using mirror trade statistics from UN Comtrade, Rwanda Mines Board export data (2015-2024), and IPIS mapping of 1, 600+ mining sites in eastern DRC, we document a 150% increase in Rwandan coltan exports coinciding with the EACRF withdrawal, while gold exports reached $1.5 billion in 2024. The analysis reveals systematic discrepancies between Rwanda's declared mineral production and export volumes, raising questions about the effectiveness of traceability systems in preventing conflict mineral circulation. As Kigali joins the US-EU critical raw materials partnership, this research provides crucial evidence for policymakers demanding proof that re-exported Congolese minerals are no longer conflict-linked. |
| Keywords: | Conflict minerals, coltan, gold, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, supply chains, certification, border labs, EACRF, critical raw materials |
| JEL: | F13 F14 F51 L71 O13 Q34 |
| Date: | 2024–11–30 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:126546 |
| By: | Sandambi, Nerhum |
| Abstract: | Southern Africa region, have the most economy of Africa such as South Africa and also have some others importants economy like Angola, this countrie is the most producer of Oil, Gas and diamond in region, your oil production give-you position of the second economy in region. But many factores in general normaly contributed for stagnation of Angola economy, yours politic instituitions promove more ineficiency and non inclusion politic, govern use democracy for your service to take many money for you and help to created the vicious circle in the economy. Angola is one country with many economics potencial, but the govern not get make good policy to guarant for example good decelopment for your people and for your region, the economic potencial of Angola can put the Country in route of development and cand in future will be the most economy in region and in Africa in general, others countries continue sleeping like as Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo all this countries have potencial to become the most economies in SADC region. In this short paper i analyse why this countries continue poor´s and continue stuncked in underdevelopment, i show in this paper some reasons about this underdevelopment for example one of this reasons is the high centralized politic and administrativ. |
| Date: | 2025–10–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:8czkf_v1 |
| By: | Phiri Kampanje, Brian |
| Abstract: | Malawi currently sits on an enormous bamboo industry capable of transforming the social and economic fabric of the nation. The bamboo industry would address the acute shortage of desks in public schools and beds in the boarding schools. Import substitution in bicycles and umbrellas would save the meagre forex resources. There is also a lot of export potential which could earn the scarce foreign currency exchange to contain the cost-push inflation as Malawi is a predominantly importing nation. There is however no political will to tap funds from international green financing schemes. Technical and vocational training education does not support this industry. The conservationists need to appreciate it. The time to act is now. |
| Keywords: | Bamboo; Forest, Vision 2063; Malawi, SDG 15 |
| JEL: | Q23 Q26 Q55 Q57 |
| Date: | 2025–08–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:126552 |