Asian Industrialization Model May Not Work for Africa

African Arguments posted on 31 January 2019 an analysis titled "The African Model: Asia's Path May Not Work, But There Is an Alternative" by Marlous van Waijenburg, University of Michigan, and Ewout Frankema, Wageningen University.

Most African countries are not in a position to compete, including labor costs, in export-focused industrialization with countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam. On the other hand, African countries may be able to compete by producing goods for their rapidly growing domestic markets.

Ethiopia and the International Monetary Fund

Ethiopia Insight posted on 11 December 2018 a commentary titled "It's Back to the Future as IMF Spots Opening" by Getachew T. Alemu, public policy consultant.

The IMF recently released its annual report on the Ethiopian economy. The author argues that while Ethiopia must make changes in its economic policy the IMF's suggested path appears to risk severe market shocks, widening inequality, and a reduced prospect of structural transformation.

Africa and the Global Competitiveness Index

The World Economic Forum publishes annually "The Global Competitiveness Report"; the report for 2018 is available. It evaluated 140 economies, including 38 in Africa. The index looks at 12 categories dealing with enabling environment (institutions, infrastructure, ICT adoption, and macroeconomic stability), human capital (health and skills), markets (product market, labor market, financial system, and market size), and innovation ecosystem (business dynamism and innovation capability).

The ten highest ranked countries in Africa are Mauritius (49), South Africa (67), Seychelles (74), Morocco (75), Tunisia (87), Botswana (90), Algeria (92), Kenya (93), Egypt (94), and Namibia (100). Of the 30 lowest ranked countries, 26 of them are in Africa.

Micro Study on Power in a South Sudanese Village

The Rift Valley Institute published in 2018 a micro study titled "Wartime Trade and Reshaping of Power in South Sudan: Learning from the Market of Mayen Rual" by Naomi Pendle, London School of Economics, and Chirrilo Madut Anei, South Sudanese researcher.

This study looks at the capture and co-opting of wartime trade in the village of Mayen Rual and the contemporary conflict in the village of Nyinakook in former Warrap state.

Ethiopia's Commodity Exchange

Good Governance Africa published on 30 September 2015 an article titled "Inside Ethiopia's Commodities Pit" by Simon Allison, Africa correspondent for the Daily Maverick in Johannesburg.  The article describes Ethiopia's successful commodity exchange operation.