Ethiopia's Policy on Refugees

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) published in October 2018 a study titled "Ethiopia's Refugee Response: Focus on Socio-economic Integration and Self-reliance" by Tsion Tadesse Abebe, ISS.

Ethiopia has more than 900,000 registered refugees and has the second highest number of refugees of any country in Africa. Most of them are from South Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea. The paper looks at ways to improve Ethiopia's response to the handling of refugees.

ISS published on 25 October 2018 a companion policy brief by the same author titled "Promises and Challenges of Ethiopia's Refugee Policy Reform."

Chinese Companies' Perception of Doing Business in Kenya

The Sino Africa Centre of Excellence (SACE) Foundation surveyed 75 Chinese private and state-owned companies in Kenya in 2014.  Drawing on the surveys, it published in January 2015 a major report titled "Business Perception Index Kenya - 2014: Chinese Companies' Perception Survey of Doing Business in Kenya 2014."

SACE said there are more than 40,000 Chinese nationals and about 400 Chinese companies in Kenya.  It defined a Chinese company as an establishment which has formally registered in Kenya and more than 50 percent of its shares are owned by Chinese nationals. 

Of the 75 companies that responded to the survey, the most common obstacle cited to doing business in Kenya was corruption at 68 percent.  Crime, theft and disorder and personal safety followed at 62 percent, and obtaining work permits at 41 percent.  The least serious obstacles to doing business were the court system (23 percent), getting electricity (23 percent), and labor management (21 percent). 

Chinese Workers in Africa

Chinese engineers' compound on road to Chobe National Park in Botswana. Flickr/George Lamson

Yejoo Kim, research analyst at Stellenbosch University's Centre for Chinese Studies, wrote an interesting commentary published on 10 June 2013 titled "Chinese Workers in Africa: Risking More, and Hoping To Earn More."

It focuses on the growing backlash in Africa against Chinese working conditions. Kim points out that Chinese companies have replicated throughout Africa working conditions that exist in China. These conditions are sometimes harsher than those experienced in Africa. While the often poor conditions apply to both African and Chinese workers, Chinese continue to accept them as they often earn twice what they could earn in China. Because there is growing criticism of these Chinese working conditions in Africa, the Chinese government is encouraging its state-owned enterprises to respect local regulations.