1. Socio-economic Problems Facing Africa: Insights from six APRM Country Review Reports (SAIIA, 2009)
This paper aims to identify common socio-economic development problems revealed in six African countries that received APRM Country Review Reports, and to look at the solutions they offer. The six countries are Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa, Algeria and Benin.
2. An analysis of Nigerian foreign policy: the evolution of political paranoia (SAIIA, 1983)
This paper asserts that Nigerian foreign policy is largely predetermined by the linkage between the domestic constituency (the need to maintain national unity and stability) and the “predestined” right to exert a leadership role in Africa.
3. Zimbabwe’s Current Socio-Economic and Political Situation: Challenges and Prospects (OSSREA, 2003)
This report from a national workshop discusses inequality and polarisation among Zimbabwe’s social classes. It examines how poverty is being propagated by unaddressed social classes, and the internal and external sources of Zimbabwean problems.
4. Understanding the Causes and Impacts of Conflicts in the Northern Region of Ghana (IEA Ghana, 2009)
The study relies on a survey of 600 people in different parts of the Northern Region to ascertain the perceptions of people about conflicts in the region. The analysis suggests that almost all the respondents are of the view that an impending major conflict is likely to occur in the Northern Region. There is enough evidence to suggest that all ethnic groups that were involved in the major conflict in 1994 are stock piling arms to be used in the event of another ethnic war. This observation calls for an urgent examination of potential dangers of another inter ethnic and intra ethnic conflict.
5. Climate Change in Ghana: Impacts on Agriculture and the Policy Implications (IEA Ghana, 2013)
The five papers in this volume represent a selection of ongoing research on climate change in Ghana. They focus exclusively on agriculture given its significance in Ghana’s economy. The first paper is by Ferdinand Mawunya and Samuel Adiku and is entitled, ‘Implications of Climate Change for Agricultural Productivity in Ghana: An Agrometeorological Perspective’. This paper sets the stage for the remaining papers by explaining the process of climate change for the benefit of non-technical readers.
6. The Impact of China-Africa Investment Relations: Case study of Ethiopia (AERC, 2010)
In the last five years, Ethio-Chinese relations have grown quite strongly in terms of trade and investment, and this paper investigates the impact of this trend. It looks at the important areas of road construction, supply of manufactured goods from China, telecommunications and installation of big electric power stations by Chinese companies, as well as engagement in Chinese firms in the Ethiopian manufacturing sector.
7. The Impact of Democracy on Development: The Case of South Africa (CPS, 2009)
The brief for this study was to present and discuss post-1994 changes, marking the advent of democracy in South Africa, to the socio-economic position of households, to assess improvements in service delivery, political changes, and public perceptions on government performance and politics in South Africa in general.
8. Globalisation and Development in Zambia: Challenges and Prospects (OSSREA, 2001)
The paper explores the ways in which the Zambian state has been transformed under the impact of globalisation and the effect of the transformation on the provision of social services. The central argument of the paper is that Zambia’s position in the world market has been a marginal one since the mid-1970s, and to the extent that globalisation has positive effects on national welfare, the country has not been positioned to reap this.
9. Challenges to the Growth of Capital Markets in Underdeveloped Economies: The Case for Uganda (Trust Africa, 2013)
Despite the universal recognition that stock markets are the most pragmatic and cost effective method to raise money for expansion and other projects, companies especially in private sector in underdeveloped economies have consistently shunned this option. This study used expert interviews to develop a conceptual model for examining the factors that can explain the private sector’s failure to use stock markets as a financing vehicle. A hypothetical model was developed using the results of the literature review, expert interviews and focus discussion groups. Panel data across the years 2003 – 2007 was then collected regarding the study variables and used to test the hypothetical model.
10. The role of multinational corporations in South Africa (SAIIA, 1979)
This series of papers focuses on the operations and investments of Western multinational corporations in South Africa’s economy. For example, “according to overseas sources, the combined European Economic Community investment in South Africa amounted to R9 851 million in 1975. Britain alone has something like 145 companies operating in South Africa, in turn running a combined total of 450 subsidiaries. West Germany has links with over 300 more companies being either actual subsidiaries or via strong shares interest in investment which has now soared to above R 1 500 million. In the beginning of 1978, an estimated 350 American companies were operating in South Africa, with an aggregate direct investment of nearly R1 275 million, representing an estimated 17 per cent of the total foreign investment in South Africa.”
