Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/229285 
Year of Publication: 
2020
Series/Report no.: 
WIDER Working Paper No. 2020/61
Publisher: 
The United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), Helsinki
Abstract: 
Special economic zones (SEZs) in Africa are generally regarded as underperforming relative to their peers in the rest of the world. This study focuses on the design features of the SEZ in Africa that may help explain this underperformance. Literature was reviewed to identify the key design attributes of SEZ programmes that could enhance their success. A case study of six Southern African countries-Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe-is then used to assess if these countries' SEZ programmes meet the ideal design features. The study finds that key design attributes are missing in these countries, hence creating problems in the implementation of SEZ programmes. More importantly, the study identifies lack of developed SEZ geographic areas, especially the requisite on-site and off-site infrastructure, with dedicated authorities to provide such infrastructure, as the main drawback for SEZ programmes in failing countries. The study recommends that countries should pay due attention to all the key design attributes of their SEZ programmes in order to enhance the success of the SEZs.
Subjects: 
design attributes
geographic areas
implementation
infrastructure
special economiczones
JEL: 
E02
H54
L52
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
ISBN: 
978-92-9256-818-4
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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