IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/oup/jafrec/v10y2001isuppl_2p12-47..html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Macroeconomic Factors and Investment in Africa

Author

Listed:
  • K. Mlambo
  • T. W. Oshikoya

Abstract

After more than a decade of implementing economic reform programmes aimed at improving the overall economic environment, investment in Africa is yet to show a robust improvement. This paper suggests that the standard macroeconomic policy variables, such as the exchange rate, trade policy, fiscal and monetary policies, and overall uncertainty explain the sluggish response of investment behaviour to reforms. The paper estimates quadrennial panel data regressions covering the period 1970–96 to study the relationship between macroeconomic policy variables and private investment in Africa. The results show that fiscal, financial and monetary policy, macroeconomic uncertainty and trade variables had a significant impact on private investment. Additionally, the study finds that investors are strongly influenced by the underlying political framework. Thus, political stability matters for investment. Further, the paper shows that Africa remains significantly vulnerable to external shocks, which have had a negative impact on private investment recovery, and suggests the need to diversify the export base as a cushion, especially against terms of trade shocks.

Suggested Citation

  • K. Mlambo & T. W. Oshikoya, 2001. "Macroeconomic Factors and Investment in Africa," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 10(suppl_2), pages 12-47.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jafrec:v:10:y:2001:i:suppl_2:p:12-47.
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/jae/10.Suppl2.12
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Simplice A. Asongu & Voxi H. S. Amavilah & Antonio R. Andres, 2019. "Business Dynamics, Knowledge Economy, and the Economic Performance of African Countries," Research Africa Network Working Papers 19/004, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    2. Victor Ushahemba Ijirshar & Joshua Kpelai Nomkuha & Benjamin Bem Bura & Joseph Tarza Sokpo & Mlumun Queen Ijirshar, 2023. "Ease of doing business and investment among West African countries," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 35(2), pages 97-112, June.
    3. Dierk Herzer & Michael Grimm, 2012. "Does foreign aid increase private investment? Evidence from panel cointegration," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(20), pages 2537-2550, July.
    4. Misati, Roseline Nyakerario & Nyamongo, Esman Morekwa, 2011. "Financial development and private investment in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 63(2), pages 139-151.
    5. Simplice A. Asongu & Voxi Amavilah & Antonio R. Andrés, 2014. "Economic Implications of Business Dynamics for KE-Associated Economic Growth and Inclusive Development in African Countries," Research Africa Network Working Papers 14/023, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    6. Jomo Kwame Sundaram & Rudiger von Arnim, 2008. "Economic liberalization and constraints to development in sub-Saharan africa," Working Papers 67, United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs.
    7. Leonce Ndikumana, 2008. "Can macroeconomic policy stimulate private investment in South Africa? New insights from aggregate and manufacturing sector-level evidence," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(7), pages 869-887.
    8. World Bank, 2008. "Republic of Burundi - Public Expenditure Management and Financial Accountability Review (PEMFAR) : Improving Allocative Efficiency and Governance of Public Expenditure and Investing in Public Capital ," World Bank Publications - Reports 7830, The World Bank Group.
    9. Steve Onyeiwu & Hemanta Shrestha, 2004. "Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in Africa," Journal of Developing Societies, , vol. 20(1-2), pages 89-106, June.
    10. Rune Jansen Hagen, 2002. "Marginalisation in the Context of Globalisation: Why Is Africa so Poor?," Nordic Journal of Political Economy, Nordic Journal of Political Economy, vol. 28, pages 147-179.
    11. Assa, Maganga & Abdi, Edriss K., 2012. "Selected Macroeconomic Variables Affecting Private Investment in Malawi," MPRA Paper 40698, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Augustin Kwasi Fosu, 2009. "Country Role Models for Development Success: The Ghana Case," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2009-42, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    13. Samuel Kwabena Obeng & Linda Akoto & Felicia Acquah, 2018. "Democracy, Globalization and Private Investment in Ghana," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 19(1), pages 1-20, February.
    14. Prof. Nnamocha, P. N. & Anyanwu, Austin C. (PhD), 2022. "Domestic Investment and Economic Growth in Nigeria, 1980-2020," International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), vol. 9(8), pages 122-131, August.
    15. Ouédraogo Nosseyamba Benjamin, 2012. "Foreign direct investment in Sub-Saharan Africa," African Journal of Economic and Sustainable Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 1(1), pages 49-66.
    16. Misati, Roseline Nyakerario & Nyamongo, Esman Morekwa, 2011. "Financial development and private investment in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 63(2), pages 139-151, March.

    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:oup:jafrec:v:10:y:2001:i:suppl_2:p:12-47.. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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: Oxford University Press (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/csaoxuk.html .

    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.