Entrepreneurship in Africa, 2017 by Akinyinka Akinyoade, Ton Dietz,,Chibuike UcheHistorically, entrepreneurs have always played a central role in the development of nation states. Aside from rentier states, which depend extensively on the availability of mineral resource rents, most economically prosperous nations in the world have strong, innovative and competitive business enterprises and entrepreneurs as the bedrock of their economic development and prosperity. It was arguably because of the above historical fact that the World Bank in 1989 declared that entrepreneurs will play a central role in transforming African economies. Chapters in this book contribute to our understanding of the theory, structure and practice of entrepreneurship in diverse African countries. Case studies examined include: African multinational banks and businesses, female entrepreneurs, culture and entrepreneurship, finance and entrepreneurship and SMEs.
Made in Africa 2016, Newman, Carol Page, John Rand, John Shemeles, Abebe Söderbom, Måns Tarp, FinnWhy is there so little industry in Africa? Over the past forty years, industry and business interests have moved increasingly from the developed to the developing world, yet Africa’s share of global manufacturing has fallen from about 3 percent in 1970 to less than 2 percent in 2014. Industry is important to low-income countries. It is good for economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction. Made in Africa: Learning to Compete in Industry outlines a new strategy to help Africa gets its fair share of the global market. Here, case studies and econometric and qualitative research from Africa, as well as emerging Asia, help the reader understand what drives firm-level competitiveness in low-income countries.
Enterprising women: expanding economic opportunities in Africa 2013 Hallward-Driemeier, MaryThis book brings together new household and enterprise data from 41 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to inform policy makers and practitioners about ways to expand women entrepreneurs' economic opportunities. Women's empowerment is recognized as the third millennium development goal; in 2012 the World Bank dedicated its annual flagship, the World Development Report, to gender equality and development (World Bank 2011); and the Nobel prize for peace was awarded to three pioneering women (two from Liberia) working for peace in their countries' fights for democracy and for greater opportunities for women. This book focuses attention on Sub-Saharan Africa, and specifically on entrepreneurship in the nonagricultural sector. The issue of gender disparities in economic opportunities in the region has been studied in terms of gaps in wage income and in job sorting in wage work (Arbache, Kolev, and Filipiak 2010; Fafchamps, Soderbom, and Benhassine 2009; Kolev and Sirven 2010). Other cross-country work has looked at entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa, but rarely with much attention paid to gender (Bigsten and Soderbom 2006; Tybout 2000; World Bank 2004). But entrepreneurship is where women in Sub-Saharan Africa are most active outside of agriculture. So it is critical to look at entrepreneurship to understand the extent of gender disparities in economic opportunities, determine the underlying reasons for these gender patterns, and develop an agenda to enable more women to realize their full potential.
Yes Africa Can: Success Stories from a Dynamic Continent, 2011 Chuhan-Pole, Punam, Angwafo, Manka, Pum Chuhan-Pole, Manka AngwafoOver the past decade Sub-Saharan Africa has seen a remarkable turnaround in economic performance. After years of stagnation, economic growth has spurted gross domestic product (GDP) grew from an annual average rate of less than 2 percent in 1978-95 to nearly 6 percent over 2003-08. Inflation is half its level of the mid-1990s. Private capital flows have risen to $50 billion, exceeding foreign aid. Exports are growing, as is private sector activity. The number of democratic regimes has risen and the security situation has improved. The poverty rate is falling by 1 percentage point a year. Countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Mauritania, and Rwanda are on track to reach many of the millennium development goals. Nine African countries have achieved or are on track to achieve the target for extreme poverty. Among other encouraging trends are more fair and effective leadership, an improving business climate, increasing innovation, a more involved citizenry, and growing reliance on home-grown solutions. More and more, Africans are driving African development. This increased dynamism in Sub-Saharan Africa is evident across a broad swath of countries. It has created optimism that Africa's favorable development performance will be long lasting and that it could dramatically transform countries in the region. Along the way, the prevailing discourse on Africa's economic development has shifted from whether the region will develop to how the region is developing. After a review of the major recent economic developments in Africa, this overview describes the approach and methodology used in the study of African successes.
