Download or read book Unlocking Africa s Business Potential written by Landry Signe and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2020-04-07 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Africa welcomes business investment and offers some of the world's highest returns and impacts Africa has tremendous economic potential and offers rewarding opportunities for global businesses looking for new markets and long-term investments with favorable returns. Africa has been one of the world's fastest-growing regions over the past decade, and by 2030 will be home to nearly 1.7 billion people and an estimated $6.7 trillion worth of consumer and business spending. Increased political stability in recent years and improving regional integration are making market access easier, and business expansion will generate jobs for women and youth, who represent the vast majority of the population. Current economic growth and poverty-alleviation efforts mean that more than 43 percent of the continent's people will reach middle- or upper-class status by 2030. Unlocking Africa's Business Potential examines business opportunities in the eight sectors with the highest potential returns on private investment—the same sectors that will foster economic growth and diversification, job creation, and improved general welfare. These sectors include: consumer markets, agriculture and agriprocessing, information and communication technology, manufacturing, oil and gas, tourism, banking, and infrastructure and construction. The book's analysis of these sectors is based on case studies that identify specific opportunities for investment and growth, along with long-term market projections to inform decision-making. The book identifies potential risks to business and offers mitigation strategies. It also provides policymakers with solutions to attract new business investments, including how to remove barriers to business and accelerate development of the private sector.

Download or read book Sector Investment Programs in Africa written by Stephen P. Jones and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1997-01-01 with total page 58 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: South Asia has made much progress in deregulation and liberalization in the 1990s, but it still remains one of the least integrated regions in the world. However, this general trend masks wide disparities among South Asian nations: the larger economies tend to be more highly protected, with low import penetration rates, while the smaller economies are relatively more open. If the current reform program continues, the benefits of liberalization will translate into higher growth. This report reviews the regions economic performance from an international perspective and the steps taken to increase integration, especially in terms of financial integration (increased foreign direct investment, portfolio and capital flows) and regional integration (intra-regional trade, regional arrangements). Chapters also discuss the economic outlook for the region and prospects for South Asian exports such as textiles and clothing.

Download or read book Sector Investment Programs in Sub Saharan Africa written by Stehen Jones and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Broad Sector Approach to Investment Lending written by Peter Harrold and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1995-01-01 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The persistent inequality between women and men constrains society to lower levels of productivity and economic growth. The evidence for taking corrective action is now more compelling than ever. This report draws on case studies and other evidence to show how public policy can and should support services and infrastructure where the social returns are the highest and the use by women the greatest. It reviews progress made to date on gender issues and explores why inequalities persist. The report also stimulates ideas for creative solutions by pointing out innovative and less-than-obvious strategies that have proved successful. In Morocco, for instance, a study shows that paving the public road to school increases a girl's probability of attending classes by 40 percent. Also available: Toward Gender Equality: The Role of Public Policy on CD-ROM (ISBN 0-8213-3471-9) Stock No. 13471.

Download or read book Africans Investing in Africa written by T. McNamee and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-05-21 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Africans Investing in Africa explores intra-African trade and investment by showing how, where and why Africans invest across Africa; to identify the economic, political and social experiences that hinder or stimulate investment; and to highlight examples of pan-African investors.

Download or read book Sector Investment Programmes in Africa written by Oxford Policy Management and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 39 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Financing Africa s Cities written by Thierry Paulais and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2012-07-05 with total page 378 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume addresses the issues of financing urban growth of the African continent -- which has the highest urban growth rate on the planet -- in the next decades. Considerable investment will be needed to sustain this level of growth and to clear up accumulated backlogs. At the same time, decentralization has resulted in increased responsibilities for local government; but in most cases, institutional reforms were carried out without the transfer of a sufficient level of resources, and local capacities in governance and project management are weak. Which mechanisms will finance these extensive needs, and how will African local governments meet these needs? Specifics on how to finance African cities have not been studied. The actual scale of this market has not been fully grasped. A systemic approach to this market is difficult because of its diversity (country size; institutional context; characteristics of urban network; availability of capital market, currency, etc.) and a lack of data. Donors’ assistance methods in the sector are disparate, marked by disputes between different schools of thought; special-purpose vehicles created by donors operate according to a variety of methods and with wide-ranging and sparsely disseminated results. What is the best way to transform these systems, often antiquated in many respects, into modern financing systems that facilitate access to domestic markets, mobilize local savings and reinforce local government autonomy? There is no single answer to this question in regard to such a variety of institutional and economic contexts. The main objective of the study is to clarify the debates and to enlighten the choices of African decision-makers at local and national level.

Download or read book Agricultural Sector Investment Programmes written by Jeremy Stickings and published by Nri. This book was released on 1999 with total page 37 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This series focuses upon policies which affect the management of natural resources in support of sustainable livelihoods, primarily in developing countries. Its core is issues which affect livelihoods of poor people in rural areas, but it also recognizes linkages - notably the role of non-natural resource components in livelihoods, the interests of the urban poor, and the role of associated factors such as health and education. It aims to provide topical analysis to inform development practitioners concerned with issues of poverty in development.

Download or read book Fostering Sustainable Development written by Nwanze Okidegbe and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1997-01-01 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Peace and reconstruction efforts in 1996 dramatically altered the landscape of Bosnia and Herzegovina and brought many tangible benefits to its people. These efforts have already led to improvements in the areas of health, education, unemployment, and infrastructure repair. Sustaining and broadening the positive developments of the past year will be the key task for the country and the international community in 1997-98. This country study examines the near-term reform issues that are essential to generating employment and providing a firm institutional and policy foundation for reconstruction and sustained economic growth. The main areas of emphasis will be on policy and budget reforms--involving institutions for macroeconomic management and bank and enterprise privatization--and reforms affecting labor markets and the social safety net.

Download or read book Investing in Africa written by Vijaya Ramachandran and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this essay, Dr. Ramachandran examines the constraints to private sector growth in Sub- Saharan Africa. She addresses two sets of issues--the constraints on firm-level productivity and the barriers to investment in the private sector. Focusing on the manufacturing sector, the author identifies and analyzes several key problems that are responsible for low productivity and investment levels in Africa. Finally, she outlines policies that may lead to the improvement of productivity and investment levels, and the role of national and international agencies in promoting these strategies. The author begins by comparing manufacturing sector productivity across developing countries and then examines some of the reasons for the gap between African productivity and that of the rest of the developing world. The key questions with regard to the productivity gap include the following: Can African labor compete with labor from other developing countries? Is the vintage of capital equipment a barrier to raising productivity? How can African firms build export capacity and become competitive in global markets? What types of firms are growing the fastest in Africa? How efficient is the market for credit in the private sector and how does this impact firm-level productivity? Recognizing that Africa's potential to attract private sector investment is at the heart of its ability to achieve a high rate of economic growth, the author identifies some of the major problems faced by investors in the private sector. In particular, she focuses on foreign direct investment because of its critical role in generating growth in the early stages of industrial development. By using case studies and othermaterial, she examines foreign investment trends in Africa, the impact of this investment in terms of output and employment, and the problems faced by new investors in Sub-Saharan Africa. The author concludes with specific recommendations for generating growth in the private sector and for improving productivity and investment levels in Africa. Finally, she suggests concrete steps that national and international policymakers can take to improve the climate for investment in Africa.

Download or read book Investment Opportunities and Private Sector Growth in Africa written by Godfrey Mwakikagile and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author looks at investment opportunities in Africa from a continental perspective. He also focuses on a number of countries which have some of the best investment opportunities on the continent. The book is a comprehensive survey of African economies, their successes and failures, and looks at all sectors of the economy which have undergone radical transformation since the adoption of free-market policies after the end of the Cold War. African economies are now driven by the private sector but the vast majority of the people have yet to benefit from this economic transformation, the author contends. Also included are profiles of some African Americans who have settled and invested in Africa. One of them is the son of baseball legend and civil rights activist Jackie Robinson who lives in Tanzania. He's one of the most successful farmers in Tanzania. He also got married there and has a family with his Tanzanian wife and applied for citizenship. The author also warns about the dangers of the Second Scramble for Africa spearheaded by multinational corporations and their home governments to exploit the continent's natural resources for their own benefit, and emphasises that there is an imperative need for African countries to protect their interests while they at the same time actively seek foreign investors to help develop their economies. It is an inescapable fact that all countries are inextricably linked in this era of globalisation. The book can also be used in college as a primary or supplementary text in the study of development economics not only in the African context but also for other parts of the Third World. It can also serve as a guide for those who want to invest or live in Africa or simply learn about the economies of African countries covered in this study. But it is also dire warning about the dangers of globalisation which, the author contends, is in many ways a new form of imperialism.

Download or read book Attracting Investors to African Public private Partnerships written by and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2009 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: at African public sector officials who are concerned about the delivery of infrastructure projects and services through partnership with the private sector, as well as staff in donor institutions who are looking to support PPP programs at the country-level." --Book Jacket.

Download or read book Securing Africa s Land for Shared Prosperity written by Frank F. K. Byamugisha and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2013-06-05 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first book on land administration and reform in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is highly relevant to all developing countries around the world. It provides simple practical steps to turn the hugely controversial subject of "land grabs� into a development opportunity by improving land governance to reduce the risks of dispossessing poor landholders while ensuring mutually beneficial investors’ deals. The book shows how Sub Saharan Africa can leverage its abundant and highly valuable natural resources to eradicate poverty by improving land governance through a ten point program to scale up policy reforms and investments at a cost of USD 4.5 billion. The book points out formidable challenges to implementation including high vulnerability to land grabbing and expropriation with poor compensation as about 90 percent of rural lands in Sub Saharan Africa are undocumented, but also timely opportunities since high commodity prices and investor interest in large scale agriculture have increased land values and returns to investing in land administration. It argues that success in implementation will require participation of many players including Pan-African organizations, Sub Saharan Africa governments, the private sector, civil society and development partners; but that ultimate success will depend on the political will of Sub Saharan Africa governments to move forward with comprehensive policy reforms and on concerted support by the international development community. Its rigorous analysis of land governance issues, yet down-to-earth solutions, are a reflection of Byamugisha's more than 20 years of global experience in land reform and administration especially in Asia and Africa. This volume will be of great interest to and relevant for a wide audience interested in African development, global studies in land, and natural resource management.

Download or read book Privatization and Investment in Sub Saharan Africa written by Rexford A. Ahene and published by Praeger. This book was released on 1992-05-21 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This contributed volume examines development efforts in sub-Saharan Africa and the role privatization and foreign investment can play. The focus is on African and international capital mobility and recent experience in private investment in contemporary African states. While government in Africa continues to have a hand in economic and political matters, private enterprise, private investment, and market forces are becoming increasingly active. The volume reveals these new directions in development practice in Africa and analyzes the difficulties which government, while well-intended, has created in the past. Contributors from the United States and Africa pose questions and examine scenarios for investment in sub-Saharan Africa. And while no single strategy is agreed upon, they provide overwhelming evidence that it has been the failure of prior central policies which has held these nations back, and that hope for the 1990's lies in the unleashing of the private sector. This work will be of interest to scholars and policy-makers in development economics, international trade and finance, and African studies.

Download or read book Financial Sector Development in Africa written by Thorsten Beck and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2012-11-27 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This edited volume contains eight studies of financial sector challenges in Africa that served as background studies for Financing Africa: Through the Crisis and Beyond. One of the major challenges for African financial systems is to expand financial services to a larger share of the population. The chapters in this area cover microfinance in Africa, the role of technology, reforms of payment infrastructure, and financing agriculture. Two chapters cover challenges in increasing long-term finance; one covers housing finance and the other the role of sovereign wealth fund. The book also contains a detailed discussion of bank regulation and supervision, especially in light of the current regulatory reforms in Europe and North America. The final chapter provides a political economy perspective, discussing the conditions for activist government policies in the financial sector.

Download or read book Best Practice In Sector Investment Programs written by Weltbank and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sector Investment Programs (SIPs) are an integral part of the World Bank's strategy for renewal in Africa. The objective of the study was therefore to examine the key elements of SIPs, to explain their rationale, and to prepare a practical guide for their preparation. Further, the objective was to assess the likely number of such programs that can be expected to be seen over the next few years, and to serve as a pedagogic tool in disseminating the new approach, both to borrowers and to other donors. SIPs offer a real alternative approach that is generating higher impact on the ground. The operations are expensive to prepare (especially for the lead donor), but significantly reduce costs over the medium term. SIPs are only possible when there is genuine local commitment to such an approach, and where there exists goodwill among the donor community, especially amongst those actively present in the country.

Download or read book Africa s Infrastructure written by Vivien Foster and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2010 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sustainable infrastructure development is vital for Africa's prosperity. And now is the time to begin the transformation. This volume is the culmination of an unprecedented effort to document, analyze, and interpret the full extent of the challenge in developing Sub-Saharan Africa's infrastructure sectors. As a result, it represents the most comprehensive reference currently available on infrastructure in the region. The book covers the five main economic infrastructure sectors--information and communication technology, irrigation, power, transport, and water and sanitation.'Africa's Infrastructure: A Time for Transformation' reflects the collaboration of a wide array of African regional institutions and development partners under the auspices of the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa. It presents the findings of the Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnostic (AICD), a project launched following a commitment in 2005 by the international community (after the G8 summit at Gleneagles, Scotland) to scale up financial support for infrastructure development in Africa. The lack of reliable information in this area made it difficult to evaluate the success of past interventions, prioritize current allocations, and provide benchmarks for measuring future progress, hence the need for the AICD.Africa's infrastructure sectors lag well behind those of the rest of the world, and the gap is widening. Some of the main--policy-relevant--findings highlighted in the book include the following: infrastructure in the region is exceptionally expensive, with tariffs being many times higher than those found elsewhere. Inadequate and expensive infrastructure is retarding growth by 2 percentage points each year. Solving the problem will cost over US$90 billion per year, which is more than twice what is being spent in Africa today.However, money alone is not the answer. Prudent policies, wise management, and soundmaintenance can improve efficiency, thereby stretching the infrastructure dollar. There is the potential to recover an additional US$17 billion a year from within the existing infrastructure resource envelope--simply by improving efficiency. For example, improved revenue collection and utility management could generate US$3.3 billion per year. Regional power trade could reduce annual costs by US$2 billion. And deregulating the trucking industry could reduce freight costs by one-half. So, raising more funds without also tackling inefficiencies would be like pouring water into a leaking bucket.Finally, the power sector and fragile states represent particular challenges. Even if every efficiency in every infrastructure sector could be captured, a substantial funding gap of $31 billion a year would remain. Nevertheless, the African people and economies cannot wait any longer. Now is the time to begin the transformation to sustainable development.