Most countries in Sub-Sahara Africa are on the path of becoming emerging economies with huge economic prospects and investment opportunities. Notwithstanding, energy insecurity and fragmented banking sector are the predominant features in the region. Thus, energy intensity is high in the region and the banking sector is under developed; this is an indication that more energy is required to produce a unit of output in the sub-region. Given the close link between energy consumption and climate change (Amuakwa-Mensah and Adom 2017; Ali et al., 2016; Shabaz et al., 2015), the current energy use pattern in Sub-Sahara Africa has important implications on the region's environment. Since the adverse effects of climate change have no geographic boundaries, the international community should be concerned about the energy use patterns in sub-Saharan Africa. Our study provides an important insight into global discussions on energy efficiency, climate change and political institutions.
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Research Briefs
Recreation Demand and Optimal Pricing for International Visitors to Kruger National Park
Even though most national parks are not wholly funded by the State, there has been a rise in calls for African governments to also focus on more people-oriented national objectives, such as access to education, energy, water and sanitation, and health, as well as tackling the high levels of unemployment and poverty. This has diminished the priority given to national parks and other protected areas in State funding models. In some cases, this disadvantage has been reinforced by the increasing contestation of the existence of national parks and other protected areas in land-scarce economies. The result has been a general decrease in funds for conservation. This threatens the existence of national parks and other protected areas, as well as the associated opportunities for social progress through job creation, enterprise development, infrastructure development, and export earnings.
The Measurement of Institutions and Instability in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1880-2010
This paper attempts to provide measures of the institutions that characterize Democratic Republic of Congo. To do so we construct de jure indices of property rights, political rights and civil liberties and a de facto index of political stability for the period going from 1880 to 2010. The indices chosen represent the political and economic institutions, which are considered as crucial for economic growth. We construct indices with long time coverage as per the suggestion of Kaufmann et al. (2003): the likelihood of observing significant changes in institutional variables substantially increases with the length of time under consideration.
Latest Publications
Taxpayers’ behavioural responses to Voluntary Disclosure Programmes: evidence from South Africa
South Africa, like any other country, strives towards greater tax revenue mobilisation. One possible explanation to low revenue levels is non-compliance by taxpayers.
Order flow and rand/dollar exchange rate dynamics
This paper uses the microstructure approach for the South African foreign exchange market to determine the impact of order flow on the rand/US dollar exchange rate over the short and long term.
Foreign Direct Investment, Sectoral Effects and Economic Growth in Africa
Earlier studies on the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on economic growth have not been instructive largely on their failure to examine the sectoral transmission channels through which FDI affects overall growth.
Skill Shortages as a Barrier to Women’s Start Ups: A Model with Evidence from Eswatini
The shortages of entrepreneurial skills, both perceived and actual, have lowered the rate of opportunity-driven women’s entrepreneurship.
The household effects of very large electricity tariff hikes in Zambia
This paper simulates the real household expenditure effects of electricity price increases in Zambia. First, we find that electricity subsidies are highly regressive.
Latest Journal Publications
The Impact of Political Competition on Economic Growth: Evidence from Municipalities in South Africa
South African Journal of Economics (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/saje.12208)
This paper examines the impact of political competition on economic growth.
Effect of Financial Development on Economic Growth in sub–Saharan Africa: Does Sectoral Growth Matter?
Journal of Policy Modelling (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0161893818301170)
This paper examines the overall economic growth effect when the growth in finance and real sector is disproportionate relying on panel data for 29 sub–Saharan African countries over the period 1980–2014.
Race to the top: Does competition in the DSL market matter for fibre penetration?
Telecommunications Policy (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308596117302045)
High speed broadband creates potential productivity gains and has a positive impact on economic growth.
Impact of macroeconomic announcements on foreign exchange volatility: Evidence from South Africa
South African Journal of Economics (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/saje.12160)
This study focuses on scheduled macroeconomic news announcements and evaluates their impact on the volatility of the South African rand (ZAR) and US dollar (USD) exchange rate using high frequency data.
Pareto Optimality and Indeterminancy of General Equilibrium under Knightian Uncertainty
Journal of Mathematical Economics 2018 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304406818300570)
This paper studies general equilibrium theory, for both complete and incomplete markets, under Knightian uncertainty.
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