New Pathways to Job Creation and Development in Africa : The Promise of Industries without Smokestacks

Through the lens of eight country case studies and three comparative chapters, this book maps the historically unique process of structural transformation occurring in Africa.

Creating productive jobs for growing a labor force is both one of the world’s greatest challenges as well as one of its greatest economic opportunities, and one of the most consequential global megatrends. Nowhere is the job creation challenge more acute than for young people in Africa. In response to this challenge and to also address Africa’s structural economic transformation, the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings has undertaken research on the prospects for large-scale job creation through the development of ‘industries without smokestacks’ including tourism, agro-processing, horticulture, and services that has revealed a promising path forward. This book is the first to document the potential for non-traditional industries to address the formal sector job creation that is critical for Africa to simultaneously harness its demographic dividend and achieve structural transformation. In the face of premature deindustrialization, many economists have voiced pessimism about Africa’s ability to replicate past economic development models. The book also documents the potential of an alternative economic development model for Africa based on industries without smokestacks. Finally, the book suggests practical policy solutions to realize the potential of these industries