Public Policy and Business Strategy in Africa

4 Credits.

This course explores the nexus of state policy, public choice, business strategy, and economic performance from independence to today in Africa. The course looks at the political imperatives of economic policymaking by different African governments and how business enterprises have responded to those policies. Taking a multidisciplinary approach drawing from policy economics, political science, Business Management, and also drawing from the real-world insights of business practitioners, as guest speakers, the course focuses on the key factors in the social, political, and economic environment that influence investors and business leaders with consequence for economic growth and wealth generation within the African continent. The course will also interrogate a host of issues which, over time, have influenced the business environment, business strategy, and economic performance in Africa including Structural Adjustment policies; Regional Economic Communities (REC); the AU agenda 2063; and China’s growing influence in Africa. Furthermore, we will explore the reasons why the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has the potential to be an economic game-changer for African.