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Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in Africa

Author

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  • Steve Onyeiwu

    (Department of Economics, Allegheny College, Meadville, PA 16335, USA, sonyeiwu@allegheny.edu)

  • Hemanta Shrestha

    (AT&T Corp., One AT&T Way, Bedminster, NJ 07921, USA, shrestha@att.com)

Abstract

Despite economic and institutional reform in Africa during the past decade, the flow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the region continues to be disappointing and uneven. In this study we use the fixed and random effects models to explore whether the stylized determinants of FDI affect FDI flows to Africa in conventional ways. Based on a panel dataset for 29 African countries over the period 1975 to 1999, the paper identifies the following factors as significant for FDI flows to Africa: economic growth, inflation, openness of the economy, international reserves, and natural resource availability. Contrary to conventional wisdom, political rights and infrastructures were found to be unimportant for FDI flows to Africa. The significance of a variable for FDI flows to Africa was found to be dependent on whether country- and time-specific effects are fixed or stochastic.

Suggested Citation

  • Steve Onyeiwu & Hemanta Shrestha, 2004. "Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in Africa," Journal of Developing Societies, , vol. 20(1-2), pages 89-106, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:jodeso:v:20:y:2004:i:1-2:p:89-106
    DOI: 10.1177/0169796X04048305
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Kafayat Amusa & Nara Monkam & Nicola Viegi, 2016. "Foreign aid and foreign direct investment in Sub-Sahara Africa: A panel data analysis," Working Papers 89, Economic Research Southern Africa.
    3. Boka Stéphane Kévin Assa, 2018. "Foreign direct investment, bad governance and forest resources degradation: evidence in Sub-Saharan Africa," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 35(1), pages 107-125, April.
    4. repec:mth:ijafr8:v:8:y:2018:i:4:p:324-351 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Guglielmo Maria Caporale & Carlos Pestana Barros & Bruno Damasio, 2013. "Foreign direct investment in the Asian economies," NCID Working Papers 10/2013, Navarra Center for International Development, University of Navarra.
    6. Dondashe, Nandipha & Phiri, Andrew, 2018. "Determinants of FDI in South Africa: Do macroeconomic variables matter?," MPRA Paper 83636, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. John Ssozi & Simplice Asongu & Voxi Heinrich Amavilah, 2019. "The effectiveness of development aid for agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 46(2), pages 284-305, March.
    8. Ssozi, John & Asongu, Simplice & Amavilah, Voxi, 2017. "Is Aid for Agriculture Effective in Sub-Saharan Africa?," MPRA Paper 83073, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. George Owusu-Antwi & Dwobeng Owusu Nyamekye & Patrick Ofei & Frederick A. Aikens, 2019. "Foreign Direct Investment: Is Natural Resources the Rejoin? Evidence from Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo: Fixed Effect Approach," International Journal of Asian Social Science, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 9(12), pages 588-606, December.
    10. İlyas Şiklar & Merve Kocaman, 2018. "FDI and Macroeconomic Stability: The Turkish Case," European Financial and Accounting Journal, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2018(1), pages 19-40.
    11. Sayari, Naz & Sari, Ramazan & Hammoudeh, Shawkat, 2018. "The impact of value added components of GDP and FDI on economic freedom in Europe," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 282-294.
    12. Toure Mamoudou & Cédric Achille Mbeng Mezui, 2017. "Working Paper 271 - Facteurs déterminants des IDE en Afrique," Working Paper Series 2388, African Development Bank.
    13. Nicolas Papadopoulos & Yara Ibrahim & Alessandro De Nisco & Maria Rosaria Napolitano, 2018. "The Role of Country Branding in Attracting Foreign Investment: Country Characteristics and Country Image," MERCATI & COMPETITIVIT?, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2018(2), pages 85-108.
    14. Sibanjan Mishra, 2016. "Macro-economic factors and foreign direct investment in India: a Toda Yamamoto causality approach," International Journal of Economics and Business Research, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 11(3), pages 195-208.
    15. Kinda, Tidiane, 2008. "Les déterminants des flux de capitaux privés dans l’UMOA: Une approche empirique sur données de panel [The determinants of private capital inflows in WAEMU: A panel data approach]," MPRA Paper 19159, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Safia Shabbir, 2012. ": Balance Sheet Channel of Monetary Transmission in Pakistan: An Empirical Investigation," SBP Research Bulletin, State Bank of Pakistan, Research Department, vol. 8, pages 1-12.
    17. Mebratu Seyoum & Renshui Wu & Jihong Lin, 2014. "Foreign Direct Investment and Trade Openness in Sub-Saharan Economies: A Panel Data Granger Causality Analysis," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 82(3), pages 402-421, September.
    18. Economou, Fotini, 2019. "Economic freedom and asymmetric crisis effects on FDI inflows: The case of four South European economies," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 114-126.
    19. Dyakov, Ignaty, 2009. "African hunt for investment: any chance for success?," Perspectives of Innovations, Economics and Business (PIEB), Prague Development Center (PRADEC), vol. 2, pages 1-4, October.
    20. Schoentgen, Aude & Gille, Laurent, 2017. "Valuation of telecom investments in sub-Saharan Africa," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(7), pages 537-554.
    21. Khrawish, Husni Ali & Siam, Walid Zakaria, 2010. "Determinants of direct foreign investment: Evidence from Jordan," Business and Economic Horizons (BEH), Prague Development Center (PRADEC), vol. 1(1), pages 1-9, April.

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