African Sovereign Wealth Funds and New Directions in State Capitalism

This book explores the evolution of sovereign wealth funds in Africa and their increasing significance for facilitating transaction-based economic development. How sovereign investment can address sustainable economic growth, infrastructure development, and sovereign debt reduction is presented.

Innovations in sovereign investment based on climate finance solutions, asset recycling and monetization, overcoming donor gaps in social sectors, capital markets products, and mobilizing co-investment funds from commercial institutions are also highlighted. An empirical framework for assessing the potential of African sovereign wealth funds to become economic powerhouses is also offered.

The book provides a roadmap for how every African country can and should establish a sovereign wealth or development fund, including those not endowed with a generous supply of natural resources.  It will be relevant to fund managers, development professionals, commercial investors, students and researchers interested in African political economy.

Wilmot Allen, Phd, is a political economist, entrepreneur and visiting researcher with the Africa Studies Program at the Walsh School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University. Based in Nairobi, he is an emerging market investor, trade specialist and advisor to sovereign funds.

Michael Kottoh is the founder of Konfidants, a policy and investment advisory to corporates, governments, sovereign funds and international development institutions. Based in Accra, he is also the creator of the Africa Sovereign Wealth Funds Index.

Together the authors launched Sovereign Wealth Africa, an economic research and industry information platform on Africa sovereign investors.