The growing involvement of China in the African region has continued to stimulate questions on the impact of her involvement in the region. This paper attempt to contribute to this debate and as well pursue a development goal by empirically answering the question that “can China’s FDI in sub-Saharan Africa stimulate the sub-region’s industrialization?”. Consequently, data used for this study were obtained from China Africa Research Initiative, the World Bank and the Energy Information Administrator (EIA) websites for a sample of 26 economies in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over the period 2003-2016. Panel Corrected Standard Error was used to achieve the objectives of the study. The PCSE estimate result indicates that China’s FDI in SSA has an insignificant but positive effect on SSA industrialization. Suggesting that China’s FDI is not enough to boost industrialization in SSA. Furthermore, the result shows that the electricity supply in SSA has a significant and positive impact on industrialization in the continent. For SSA to benefit from China FDI significantly, SSA government must prioritize and where necessary modify future agreement to promote or prioritize Chinese investment in sectors with positive linkages with the manufacturing sector and increasing local outsourcing of inputs and intermediate production activities.

Introduction: Development of information and communication technology has been identified as a tool for fast and effective information gathering and dissemination, and as a means through which almost every social and economic sector (including the health sector) could achieve economic, operational, and service delivery efficiencies that can enable the realization of targeted outcomes. ICT can serve as a tool for achieving international agreements (including the Alma Ata Declaration of 1978), thereby accelerating the achievement of various global development targets.Methods: Consequently, based on a sample of 38 countries from 2000 to 2018, this study investigates the effect of ICT development on the health gap, and whether the effect varies by gender and sub-region in Africa. The dependent variable (health gap) was measured as the difference between the achieved life expectancy at birth of 60 years and the Alma Ata Declaration of 1978 targeted life expectancy at birth of 60 years. The main independent variables are ICT indicators (ICT index, mobile cellular subscriptions, and internet access), while the gross domestic product (GDP), which is the measure of economic growth, healthcare expenditure, urbanization, and labor market outcome, is employed as control variables. The effect was examined using Driscoll-Kraay standard errors, feasible generalized least squares (FGLS), and panel-corrected standard error (PCSE).Results and discussion: The findings of the Driscoll-Kraay standard errors estimation technique supported by those of FGLS and PCSE suggest that ICT does act as an indispensable stimulator for Africa to significantly exceed the international health target of life expectancy at birth of 60 years. It can be concluded that African leaders need to take advantage and maximize the health-enhancing potential of the internet component of ICT through relevant policies that would improve internet coverage, connectivity, and access for individuals and health institutions.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze food security status and its determinants among households in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is based on the General Household Survey which was conducted in 2014 where 3,033 households were sampled from the province. Specifically, this study examines the determinants of food security proxy by dietary diversity (24-hour recall) using descriptive statistics, Poisson regression. A frequency count of food groups consumed household dietary diversity score was used as the explained variable. Findings: The descriptive analysis shows that, although 61.7 percent of households in the study area have a high dietary diversity score, however, food group giving micronutrients are less consumed as food groups having cereals (maize), beef, sugar and oil was mostly consumed. Results on the marginal effect of Poisson regression indicate that household head characteristics (age, gender, education, marital status, and employment status), pension receiving households and geographical location significantly influence household dietary diversity. Originality/value: This study advocates for the intensification of rural development and food security programs, formal and informal education for household heads, female empowerment and dietary enlightenment for households in order to promote the consumption of diverse diets and more healthful food groups.

The paper attempts to empirically test the contribution of unprocessed and processed agriculture of exports to economic growth in South Africa. The study used time series data which spanned from 1986 to 2012. A Johansen cointegration approach was used to test for cointegration after the unit root tests had shown that all variables were non-stationary at levels. Cointegration results showed that there was one cointegrating equation. Subsequently, a VECM was used as the estimation technique. The study found that processed agricultural exports have a positive relationship with economic growth whereas unprocessed agricultural exports have a negative relationship with economic growth. This shows that manufactured agricultural exports contribute significantly to economic growth. The study recommends that the South African government should promote and stimulate investment in the processed agricultural commodities sector. There should be more production and expansion in the manufacture agricultural commodities sector. Processed manufactured goods usually are sold at a much higher price and this may generate more income for South African firms.

International consensus on the importance of adequate health has led to various global and regional commitments, including the Abuja Declaration. One of the highlights of the Abuja Declaration adopted in 2001 by African state heads is the agreement to an allocation target of at least 15% of annual budget to improve the health sector. This declaration was a response to the pressing need for increased investment in healthcare infrastructure, personnel, and services to improve public health outcomes across the continent. However, more than two decades later, questions remain regarding the extent to which African nations have adhered to this commitment. This study aims to: 1) assess the extent to which African countries have met or complied with the Abuja Declaration’s health expenditure target, 2) analyse and identify economic and institutional factors contributing to the gap between actual health expenditure share in total government expenditure and the Abuja Declaration target. To achieve these objectives, data was collected for forty-five Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries spanning the period from 2002 to 2021. The analysis employs both descriptive statistical methods and econometric modeling including Driscoll-Kraay standard errors to account for potential heteroscedasticity and cross-sectional dependence in the data. Findings from the study data analysis show that despite this commitment, many SSA countries struggle to achieve the target, resulting in a persistent and inequal health expenditure gap (defined as actual minus target), which is often negative as actual expenditures fall short of the target. Furthermore, the results from the econometric analysis underscore the crucial role of governance and institutional quality in influencing compliance with the Abuja Declaration. Specifically, control of corruption, political stability, rule of law, and government effectiveness emerge as key determinants of a country’s ability to allocate and sustain higher levels of health funding. Countries with stronger institutional frameworks and governance structures tend to exhibit better compliance with the Abuja target, while those with weak governance experience severe shortfalls in health investment. Given these findings, this study underscores the importance of enacting and reinforcing health policy as a national priority in line with the Abuja Declaration. Strengthening anti-corruption measures to enhance budget efficiency, improving legal frameworks to enforce health budget commitments, and fostering better financial planning and budget execution capacity are crucial for ensuring progress toward the 15% health expenditure target. Policymakers must prioritize sustainable financing strategies, such as innovative public-private partnerships and improved domestic revenue mobilization, to bridge the health expenditure gap. By addressing economic and governance challenges, SSA countries can enhance ability to meet health investment commitments, ultimately improving health outcomes and fostering long-term economic and social development.