IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bcp/journl/v8y2024i11p3402-3409.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Role of the Private Sector on Inclusive Growth in Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Desiree Sama-Lang

    (Pan-African University of Governance, Humanities and Social Sciences)

Abstract

This study examines the role of the private sector in promoting inclusive growth across Africa, with a particular focus on employment generation and financial inclusion. Despite Africa’s significant economic growth in recent decades, approximately 40% of the population still lives below the poverty line, highlighting the need for more inclusive development approaches. Through a qualitative multiple case study analysis of five innovative private sector initiatives including M-Pesa (Kenya), Zipline (Ghana), Solar Turtle (South Africa), ActivSpaces (Cameroon), and the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Program (Pan-African) this research investigates how private sector interventions contribute to inclusive growth. The findings reveal that private sector initiatives are most effective when they combine technological innovation with social impact, particularly in expanding financial access, healthcare delivery, renewable energy solutions, and entrepreneurship support. The study identifies significant challenges, including regulatory barriers, infrastructure deficits, limited access to finance, and skills gaps, which constrain the private sector’s potential. The research concludes that maximizing the private sector’s contribution to inclusive growth requires a coordinated approach involving policy reforms, infrastructure development, financial sector diversification, and stronger public-private partnerships. These findings have important implications for policymakers, development practitioners, and private sector stakeholders working to promote inclusive economic development in Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • Desiree Sama-Lang, 2024. "The Role of the Private Sector on Inclusive Growth in Africa," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 8(11), pages 3402-3409, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:8:y:2024:i:11:p:3402-3409
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/Digital-Library/volume-8-issue-11/3402-3409.pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/articles/the-role-of-the-private-sector-on-inclusive-growth-in-africa/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alan Gelb and Julia Clark, 2013. "Identification for Development:The Biometrics Revolution," Working Papers 315, Center for Global Development.
    2. Arne Bigsten & Mans Söderbom, 2006. "What Have We Learned from a Decade of Manufacturing Enterprise Surveys in Africa?," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 21(2), pages 241-265.
    3. Leo Van Hove & Antoine Dubus, 2019. "M-PESA and Financial Inclusion in Kenya: Of Paying Comes Saving?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-26, January.
    4. William Jack & Tavneet Suri, 2014. "Risk Sharing and Transactions Costs: Evidence from Kenya's Mobile Money Revolution," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(1), pages 183-223, January.
    5. Alan Gelb & Christian J. Meyer & Vijaya Ramachandran & Divyanshi Wadhwa, 2017. "Can Africa Be a Manufacturing Destination? Labor Costs in Comparative Perspective," Working Papers 466, Center for Global Development.
    6. Thorsten Beck & Asli Demirgüç-Kunt & Ross Levine, 2010. "Financial Institutions and Markets across Countries and over Time: The Updated Financial Development and Structure Database," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 24(1), pages 77-92, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Metzger, Martina & Riedler, Tim & Pédussel Wu, Jennifer, 2019. "Migrant remittances: Alternative money transfer channels," IPE Working Papers 127/2019, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Institute for International Political Economy (IPE).
    2. Abdinur Ali Mohamed & Fartun Ahmed Sheikh Mohamud, 2024. "The power of financial innovation in neutralizing carbon emissions: the case of mobile money in Somalia," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(9), pages 23151-23174, September.
    3. Martina Metzger & Jennifer Pédussel Wu, 2020. "Moving Minds and Money: The Political Economy of Migrant Transfers," ICDD Working Papers 33, University of Kassel, Fachbereich Gesellschaftswissenschaften (Social Sciences), Internatioanl Center for Development and Decent Work (ICDD).
    4. Lin Xie & Biliang Luo & Wenjing Zhong, 2021. "How Are Smallholder Farmers Involved in Digital Agriculture in Developing Countries: A Case Study from China," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-16, March.
    5. Lucas A. Mariani & Jose Renato Haas Ornelas & Bernardo Ricca, 2023. "Banks’ Physical Footprint and Financial Technology Adoption," Working Papers Series 576, Central Bank of Brazil, Research Department.
    6. Olayinka David-West & Oluwasola Oni & Folajimi Ashiru, 2022. "Diffusion of Innovations: Mobile Money Utility and Financial Inclusion in Nigeria. Insights from Agents and Unbanked Poor End Users," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 24(6), pages 1753-1773, December.
    7. Kurz, Michael & Kleimeier, Stefanie, 2019. "Credit Supply: Are there negative spillovers from banks’ proprietary trading? (RM/19/005-revised-)," Research Memorandum 026, Maastricht University, Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE).
    8. Mahmud, Mahreen & Riley, Emma, 2021. "Household response to an extreme shock: Evidence on the immediate impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on economic outcomes and well-being in rural Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    9. Christopher F Baum & Mustafa Caglayan & Bing Xu, 2017. "The Impact of Uncertainty on Financial Institutions," Boston College Working Papers in Economics 939, Boston College Department of Economics, revised 20 Sep 2018.
    10. Iñaki Aldasoro & Sebastian Doerr & Haonan Zhou, 2023. "Non-bank lending during crises," BIS Working Papers 1074, Bank for International Settlements.
    11. N'dri, Lasme Mathieu & Kakinaka, Makoto, 2020. "Financial inclusion, mobile money, and individual welfare: The case of Burkina Faso," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(3).
    12. Maude Hasbi & Antoine Dubus, 2019. "Determinants of Mobile Broadband Use in Developing Economies: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers hal-02264651, HAL.
    13. Oz Shy, 2021. "Digital Currency, Digital Payments, and the 'Last Mile' to the Unbanked," Policy Hub, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, vol. 2021(9), pages 1-9, August.
    14. Carmen Pagés-Serra & Reyes Aterido & Mary Hallward-Driemeier, 2007. "Clima de negocios y creación de empleo: El efecto del acceso al crédito, la corrupción y el marco regulatorio en el crecimiento de las empresas," Research Department Publications 4560, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    15. van Uden, Annelies & Knoben, Joris & Vermeulen, P.A.M., 2015. "Making Sense of Industry Characteristics as Drivers of Dynamic Capabilites," Other publications TiSEM fbb2a35d-c957-489b-b170-d, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    16. Oasis Kodila-Tedika & Simplice A. Asongu, 2015. "The Effect of Intelligence on Financial Development: A Cross-Country Comparison," Research Africa Network Working Papers 15/002, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    17. Harrison, Ann E. & Lin, Justin Yifu & Xu, Lixin Colin, 2014. "Explaining Africa’s (Dis)advantage," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 59-77.
    18. Diether W. Beuermann & Inder J. Ruprah & Ricardo E. Sierra, 2016. "Do remittances help smooth consumption during health shocks?: Evidence from Jamaica," Journal of Developing Areas, Tennessee State University, College of Business, vol. 50(3), pages 1-19.
    19. Wenwen Sheng & M. C. Sunny Wong, 2017. "Capital Flow Management Policies and Riskiness of External Liability Structures: the Role of Local Financial Markets," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 28(3), pages 461-498, July.
    20. Francesco Quatraro & Marco Vivarelli, 2015. "Drivers of Entrepreneurship and Post-entry Performance of Newborn Firms in Developing Countries," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 30(2), pages 277-305.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:8:y:2024:i:11:p:3402-3409. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Dr. Pawan Verma (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.