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Africa in the Global Economy. Richard E. Mshomba. Lynne Rienner Publishers, xvi + 245 pp. ISBN 1‐55587‐718‐4

Africa in the Global Economy. Richard E. Mshomba. Lynne Rienner Publishers, xvi + 245 pp. ISBN... Book Reviews 337 productivity are no bar to profitable exporting or, indeed, to profitable expansion generally, if wages are sufficiently low to compensate for the lower productivity. Three chapters in the volume review the macro-evidence for the state of Africa’s industrial sector. They make gloomy reading. While there is evidence of some recovery in some economies, it is clear that the overall picture is one of, at best, slow growth. Manufacturing exports have not been a driving force for growth for any economy in Sub-Saharan Africa with the sole exception of Mauritius, which the reader would have to read the text very carefully to know. While mentioned periodically in these chapters it is never identified for what it is: Africa’s sole manufacturing export success story. Given that this export success was based on clothing exports and given the strong parallels with the newly industrialised countries, not least the involve- ment of Chinese capital in the industry and that its experience flatly contradicts the pattern of exports described by Mark Hiley, its lack of emphasis seems odd. In fact it is the answer to the question implicitly posed throughout the volume. Labour-intensive exports are possible and they can transform the http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of African Economies Oxford University Press

Africa in the Global Economy. Richard E. Mshomba. Lynne Rienner Publishers, xvi + 245 pp. ISBN 1‐55587‐718‐4

Johnston, Bruce F.
Journal of African Economies , Volume 10 (3) – Sep 1, 2001
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Publisher
Oxford University Press
Copyright
Copyright Oxford University Press 2001
ISSN
0963-8024
eISSN
1464-3723
DOI
10.1093/jae/10.3.337
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Book Reviews 337 productivity are no bar to profitable exporting or, indeed, to profitable expansion generally, if wages are sufficiently low to compensate for the lower productivity. Three chapters in the volume review the macro-evidence for the state of Africa’s industrial sector. They make gloomy reading. While there is evidence of some recovery in some economies, it is clear that the overall picture is one of, at best, slow growth. Manufacturing exports have not been a driving force for growth for any economy in Sub-Saharan Africa with the sole exception of Mauritius, which the reader would have to read the text very carefully to know. While mentioned periodically in these chapters it is never identified for what it is: Africa’s sole manufacturing export success story. Given that this export success was based on clothing exports and given the strong parallels with the newly industrialised countries, not least the involve- ment of Chinese capital in the industry and that its experience flatly contradicts the pattern of exports described by Mark Hiley, its lack of emphasis seems odd. In fact it is the answer to the question implicitly posed throughout the volume. Labour-intensive exports are possible and they can transform the

Journal

Journal of African Economies – Oxford University Press

Published: Sep 1, 2001

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