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Performance of Manufacturing Firms in Africa : An Empirical Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Hinh T. Dinh
  • George R.G. Clarke
Abstract
This book sheds light on the characteristics of formal and informal manufacturing firms in Africa by comparing these firms with firms in other regions. Drawing on two data sources, the authors find that there is a very low share of manufacturing in GDP in Africa and in African exports. Most African manufacturing firms are informal. These firms are also smaller than firms in other regions and few export. Labor productivity is low in Africa relative to other regions, but this may be because of the more challenging environment - with the lack of physical infrastructure, the heavy burden of business regulation, and other issues. However, after accounting for these differences, the authors find that firms in Sub-Saharan Africa appear more, not less, productive than firms elsewhere. This analysis suggests that improving the business environment might allow firms to enhance their performance. However, given the pervasive distortions in the business environment and the limited resources at the disposal of most African countries, Africa cannot and should not wait until the business environment becomes healthier before growing a more viable manufacturing sector. The book shows that binding constraints vary by country, by sector, and by firm size. Therefore, countries should identify the constraints in the most promising sectors and adopt policies designed specifically to remove these constraints. The evidence in this book overwhelmingly dispels the false notion of Africa's inability to compete globally in manufacturing goods.

Suggested Citation

  • Hinh T. Dinh & George R.G. Clarke, 2012. "Performance of Manufacturing Firms in Africa : An Empirical Analysis," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 11959.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbpubs:11959
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    File URL: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/11959/717320PUB0Publ067869B09780821396322.pdf?sequence=1
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

    1. Newman, Carol & Page, John & Rand, John & Shimeles, Abebe & Soderbom, Mans & Tarp, Finn (ed.), 2016. "Manufacturing Transformation: Comparative Studies of Industrial Development in Africa and Emerging Asia," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198776987.
    2. Antonia Grohmann & Lukas Menkhoff & Helke Seitz, 2022. "The Effect of Personalized Feedback on Small Enterprises’ Finances in Uganda," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 70(3), pages 1197-1227.
    3. Barış Alpaslan, 2017. "Are Human and Social Capital Linked? Evidence from India," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 68(4), pages 859-881, November.
    4. Derek D. Headey, 2016. "The evolution of global farming land: facts and interpretations," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 47(S1), pages 185-196, November.
    5. Aalia Cassim & Kezia Lilenstein & Morne Oosthuizen & Francois Steenkamp, 2016. "Informality and Inclusive Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers 201602, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    6. Addison, Tony & Singhal, Saurabh & Tarp, Finn, 2013. "Aid to Africa: The Changing Context," WIDER Working Paper Series 144, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    7. Dominic, Theresia & Theuvsen, Ludwig, 2015. "The Impact of External and Internal Factors on Strategic Management Practices of Agribusiness Firms in Tanzania," GlobalFood Discussion Papers 197072, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, GlobalFood, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
    8. Subash Sasidharan & S. N. Rajesh Raj, 2014. "The Growth Barriers of Informal Sector Enterprises: Evidence from India," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 52(4), pages 351-375, December.
    9. Mirgul Nizaeva & Ali Coskun, 2019. "Investigating the Relationship Between Financial Constraint and Growth of SMEs in South Eastern Europe," SAGE Open, , vol. 9(3), pages 21582440198, September.
    10. Agénor, Pierre-Richard & Canuto, Otaviano & Jelenic, Michael, 2014. "Access to Finance, Product Innovation, and Middle-Income Growth Traps," World Bank - Economic Premise, The World Bank, issue 137, pages 1-7, March.
    11. Marco Sanfilippo & Adnan Seric, 2014. "Spillovers from agglomerations and inward FDI. A Multilevel Analysis on SSA domestic firms," RSCAS Working Papers 2014/76, European University Institute.
    12. Helke Seitz, 2020. "Subgroup Analysis of Investment Constraints: Evidence from Ugandan Microenterprises," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1920, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    13. Simon Kamuri, 2021. "Entrepreneurial Orientation, Innovation and Performance of Value-system Actors," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation, Macrothink Institute, Journal of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation, vol. 8(2), pages 1-50, December.
    14. Agenor, Pierre-Richard & Dinh, Hinh T., 2013. "Public policy and industrial transformation in the process of development," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6405, The World Bank.
    15. Tony Addison & Saurabh Singhal & Finn Tarp, 2013. "Aid to Africa: the Changing Context," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2013-144, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    16. Agénor, Pierre-Richard & Dinh, Hinh T., 2015. "Social capital, product imitation and growth with learning externalities," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 41-54.
    17. Agenor, Pierre-Richard & Dinh, Hinh, 2013. "From Imitation to Innovation: Public Policy for Industrial Transformation," World Bank - Economic Premise, The World Bank, issue 115, pages 1-8, May.
    18. Hinh T. Dinh, 2017. "Jobs, Industrialization, and Globalization," Books & Reports, Policy Center for the New South, number 22.
    19. Agénor, Pierre-Richard & Canuto, Otaviano, 2017. "Access to finance, product innovation and middle-income traps," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 337-355.

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