Follow CGSP on Social Media

Listen to the CGSP Podcast

Will Infrastructure Boost African Growth? Maybe Not, Says Economist

by Cobus van Staden
File image of a refugee from South Sudan carrying her child on her back while working at her vegetable crops in Kalobeyei settlement for refugees in Turkana County, Kenya. Luis TATO / AFP

The Kenyan economist David Ndii published a fascinating paper casting doubt on one of the most fundamental assumptions in Africa-China relations: that the key to boosting growth is infrastructure.

Ndii, a prominent critic of the ‘first build a road’ infrastructure-focused orthodoxy, compared development outputs between Africa and South Asia. He argues that instead of trying to emulate Asia’s low-wage manufacturing model, Africa should focus on agriculture-led growth.

Lead the Conversation on China

Subscribe Today to Get Full Access to The China-Global South Project

Check Out Everything You'll Get With Your Subscription

The China-Global South Daily Brief delivered to your inbox at 6AM Washington time

Full access to exclusive news and analysis from editors based in the Global South

Transcripts of CGSP’s twice-weekly podcasts

Students and teachers with a valid .edu email address are eligible for a 50% discount off monthly or yearly subscriptions. Email us to receive a discount code.

You Might Like

The New, Upgraded Chinese-Built Port in Lamu is Ready To Go

Kenya’s National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani personally inspected the new port facilities in Lamu and gave it his blessing ahead of the first ship that is scheduled to dock there on May ...

Excitement, Rumors in Nairobi about New China-built Expressway

The growing excitement in the Kenyan capital about the upcoming inauguration of its new Chinese-built Nairobi Expressway is also spawning a flurry of viral rumors. On Tuesday, The Standard newspaper published a fact-check ...

Africa’s Debt-fueled Infrastructure Binge Will Not Generate Economic Growth, Says Prominent Kenyan Scholar

Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia are among a number of African countries that borrowed billions of dollars over the past twenty years to build massive infrastructure projects that policymakers in those countries all thought ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.