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Special economic zones in Southern Africa: white elephants or latent drivers of growth and employment?: The case of Zambia and South Africa

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  • Mwanda Phiri
  • Shimukunku Manchishi

Abstract

The successful use of special economic zones as economic tools for export-led industrial development in East Asia propelled a wave of similar initiatives across Africa. In Southern Africa, Zambia and South Africa instituted special economic zones in their respective legal and institutional frameworks in the 2000s as mechanisms for catalysing industrialization and employment creation by means of domestic and foreign investments.

Suggested Citation

  • Mwanda Phiri & Shimukunku Manchishi, 2020. "Special economic zones in Southern Africa: white elephants or latent drivers of growth and employment?: The case of Zambia and South Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-160, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2020-160
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Aguirre Unceta, Rafael, 2021. "The economic and social impact of mining-resources exploitation in Zambia," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    2. Grace Nsomba & Thando Vilakazi, 2021. "Barriers to entry and the role of African multinational corporations: Entrants in intermediate industrial products (inputs into construction)," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2021-143, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. Neva Makgetla, 2021. "Learning from experience: Special Economic Zones in Southern Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2021-124, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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    Keywords

    Special Economic Zones; Agglomeration; Industrialization; Job creation;
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