The Handbook of African Economic Development explores the diverse nature of economic advancement in Africa, spanning from pre-colonial times to the present day. Expansive in scope, it offers both orthodox and heterodox perspectives on the subject, and what it means for the continent.

Contents: PART I OVERVIEW 1 Introduction to the Handbook of African Economic Development 2 Pádraig Carmody and James T. Murphy 2 Development theories, perspectives, and debates with a focus on Africa 14 Pádraig Carmody and James T. Murphy 3 African economic development: challenges and successes (a look at the data) 30 James T. Murphy and Pádraig Carmody PART II HISTORICAL CONTEXTS 4 Pre-colonial African economies 42 Erik Green 5 Economic development during the height of colonialism, c. 1920‒1960 56 Ellen Hillbom 6 Social and economic development in Africa: early years of political independence 72 Vusi Gumede PART III GLOBAL FLOWS AND NETWORKS 7 China and the BRI(C)S in Africa: making sense of the complexities of capabilities asymmetries 86 Obert Hodzi 8 Monetary policy and macroeconomic management in Africa 99 Christopher Adam 9 Trade and development in Africa 117 Rick Rowden 10 Foreign investment and aid in Africa: history, trends, theories, and prospects 132 Pádraig Carmody and James T. Murphy 11 Global and regional value chains in sub-Saharan Africa: governance of social standards 152 Stephanie Barrientos and Shane Godfrey 12 Migration/diasporas 167 Abel Chikanda PART IV ECONOMIC SECTORS 13 Policy and performance in African agriculture since independence: critical reflections 184 Howard Stein 14 Extractive industries in Africa 199 Pius Siakwah 15 Manufacturing in Africa 218 Carol Newman 16 Financial and other services sectors in Africa 233 Joshua Y. Abor, Baah A. Kusi, Lordina Amoah, and Elikplimi K. Agbloyor PART V INSTITUTIONS AND DEVELOPMENT 17 Governance and politics 252 Pierre Englebert and Kari Siegenthaler 18 Property and land tenure 268 Sandra F. Joireman 19 Gender and development 282 Vera Acheampong and Abena D. Oduro 20 Race, capitalism, and development 298 Luísa Calvete Portela Barbosa PART VI RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LIVELIHOODS 21 Livelihoods, poverty, and development 314 Thanyani Madzivhandila and Francis Owusu 22 Smallholder agriculture and agrarian livelihoods 329 Agnes Andersson and Selorm Kobla Kugbega 23 Rural labor, depeasantization, and deagrarianization 344 Deborah Fahy Bryceson 24 Pastoral livelihoods in Africa 358 Edna Wangui 25 Fisheries 374 Mafaniso Hara and Fiona Nunan 26 Forestry 389 Charlotte Hall, Emilie Vansant, Bowy den Braber, Rasmus Skov Olesen, and Laura Vang Rasmussen PART VII URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND LIVELIHOODS 27 Urban transition and economic development in Africa 404 Ian E.A. Yeboah 28 Urban livelihoods 418 David Simon and Katherine V. Gough 29 Informality 434 Richard Grant 30 Infrastructure challenges: thinking infrastructure differently for more hopeful African futures 447 Idalina Baptista 31 New city building in urban Africa 461 Taru and Martin Murray 32 Africa’s middle classes: between relative prosperity and persistent precarity 477 Manja Andreasen PART VIII ENVIRONMENTS 33 Climate change and Africa 493 Camilla Toulmin, Florence Crick, and Binyam Gebreyes 34 Political economy of climate change adaptation in Africa 512 Julie A. Silva, L. Jen Shaffer, and Robin Leichenko 35 Political ecologies of development 527 Anesu Makina and Mary Lawhon PART IX FUTURES 36 Africapitalism 542 Stefan Ouma 37 The decolonial turn in development in Africa 556 Busani Mpofu and Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni 38 Epilogue 573 James T. Murphy and Pádraig Carmody