Changing Productive Structures

Abstract

In this chapter, Cilliers offers various explanations for Africa’s lack of sustained, structural economic transformation from low-value economic activities towards high-value services and manufacturing, and explores the challenges associated with the continent failing to industrialise. He offers historical context for how this situation emerged, drawing from global datasets such as trade data from the UN Conference on Trade and Development. The chapter then proceeds to look to the future of industrialisation in Africa in the context of technology-driven changes to the manufacturing sector globally via the fourth industrial revolution, which could offer the continent opportunities to gain a foothold in global value chains. The latter portion of the chapter models key interventions in a Made in Africa scenario, and examines its economic impact to 2040.