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There is a limited amount of literature and data available on the topic of foreign divestment in African countries. The majority of research examining international divestment have primarily concentrated on a single-country context and have utilised factors at the level of individual firms. Unlike other papers, this study took a comprehensive approach by examining foreign divestiture across multiple countries on a continental scale. We analyse the correlation between foreign divestment, financial development, and economic growth over both short and long periods using annual data from 2000 to 2020 in 35 African nations. The principal estimating technique employed was the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) co-integration approach. The study's primary findings revealed a favourable enduring correlation between foreign divestiture and financial development, while indicating an unfavourable enduring correlation between foreign divestment and economic growth. Furthermore, the study found that there is a negative correlation between international divestiture and financial development in the short term. On the other hand, there is a positive and significant correlation between foreign divestment and economic growth. Thus, it is imperative for policymakers to implement rules with efficiency and promote foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in order to enhance economic growth and development in African countries. Additionally, it is imperative for authorities to establish a surveillance system to monitor these connections and adapt policy accordingly in light of evolving economic conditions. The results of this study will not only enhance scholarly discussions, but also offer valuable insights to policymakers, practitioners, businesses, and foreign investors on how to effectively execute policies that promote economic growth and foreign investment in Africa. Moreover, this study provides suggestions for future investigations in the field of foreign divestment.  

This paper examines the causal relationship between foreign divestment (FD), economic growth, and financial development in African countries between 2000 and 2020. The research addresses the inadequately studied influence of macroeconomic variables on FD, focusing on the African context, where scholarly investigations on FD remain scarce. The study seeks to provide policymakers with insights on strategies to mitigate FD outflows and promote sustainable development. The research employs the Dumitrescu-Hurlin Panel Causality test to investigate causal relationships between FD, economic growth, and financial development. The study uses panel data covering multiple African nations over two decades, offering a robust temporal and spatial analysis. The approach emphasises examining unidirectional and bidirectional causation within the macroeconomic framework, contributing to a nuanced understanding of the interplay between these variables. The main findings of the study reveal a unidirectional causation between FD and economic growth across African countries, although this relationship is not consistent in all instances. Additionally, a bidirectional causal relationship is identified between FD and financial development (FIN). These findings underscore the interconnectedness of FD with macroeconomic stability and highlight the importance of fostering economic growth and financial sector development to address FD outflows effectively. This study contributes to the underexplored area of FD in African nations by highlighting its causal relationships with economic growth and financial development. It offers valuable insights for policymakers, scholars, and multinational enterprises (MNEs). The findings further underscore the importance of sound governance practices, economic stability, and financial sector development in mitigating FD outflows and fostering sustainable development in Africa.

The study examines how quality of governance influences the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study adopts a quantitative research strategy that utilises panel data of selected countries during 28 years, that is, 1996-2023. Indicators of governance like Government Effectiveness (GE), Political Stability and Absence of Violence (AV), Rule of Law (RL), Regulatory Quality (RQ) and Voice and Accountability (VA). The findings indicate that Strong Governance frameworks significantly enhance FDI inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa. VA was found to be a very strong positive determinant. GE and PS were also found to have negative relationships in within-country analyses. The IFRS adoption, being a uniform variable throughout the sampled countries, was observed to increase investor confidence. These results imply that the improvement of governance are synergies that help to establish the stable, transparent, and predictable environment sought by investors. Thus, policymakers can improve the governance systems and provide citizen involvement in order to boost foreign investment and attract sustainable capital and economic growth in the region.

This study examines the long-run relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and institutional quality within the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), focusing on Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia over the period 2002–2019. Drawing on institutional theories of FDI, the analysis employs governance indicators such as political stability, control of corruption, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, and rule of law to assess their influence on investment dynamics. Using panel unit root and cointegration tests, the study confirms the existence of a stable long-term equilibrium among the variables. The Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) estimator is applied to quantify these relationships. Empirical results indicate that control of corruption, political stability, and regulatory quality exert significant positive effects on FDI inflows, even after accounting for macroeconomic controls. Conversely, government effectiveness and rule of law show no statistically significant impact in the presence of the macroeconomic control variables. These findings underscore the critical role of institutional quality in shaping the investment climate of AMU economies. Policy implications suggest that targeted reforms such as strengthening anti-corruption frameworks, enhancing political stability, and improving regulatory governance can bolster institutional credibility, mitigate investment risk, and attract sustainable FDI to the region.  

This study examines the impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on economic growth in South Africa over the period 2000 to 2023. An Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression model was employed to assess the relationship between FDI inflows and Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while controlling for key macroeconomic variables. The findings reveal that FDI exerts a significant positive influence on economic performance, with a 1% increase in FDI inflows associated with a 1.93% rise in GDP. However, high inflation exerts a detrimental effect, with a coefficient of -1.99, highlighting the importance of macroeconomic stability. The analysis also indicates that trade openness contributes positively to economic growth, while political risk remains a substantial deterrent to investment, as shown by a coefficient of -3.11. These findings underline the importance of maintaining a stable political environment, managing inflation effectively, and enhancing trade liberalisation to maximise the benefits of FDI. Policy recommendations include strengthening regulatory frameworks and fostering trade openness.

This study examines the long-run relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and institutional quality within the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), focusing on Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia over the period 2002–2019. Drawing on institutional theories of FDI, the analysis employs governance indicators such as political stability, control of corruption, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, and rule of law to assess their influence on investment dynamics. Using panel unit root and cointegration tests, the study confirms the existence of a stable long-term equilibrium among the variables. The Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) estimator is applied to quantify these relationships. Empirical results indicate that control of corruption, political stability, and regulatory quality exert significant positive effects on FDI inflows, even after accounting for macroeconomic controls. Conversely, government effectiveness and rule of law show no statistically significant impact in the presence of the macroeconomic control variables. These findings underscore the critical role of institutional quality in shaping the investment climate of AMU economies. Policy implications suggest that targeted reforms such as strengthening anti-corruption frameworks, enhancing political stability, and improving regulatory governance can bolster institutional credibility, mitigate investment risk, and attract sustainable FDI to the region.  

The study examines how quality of governance influences the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study adopts a quantitative research strategy that utilises panel data of selected countries during 28 years, that is, 1996-2023. Indicators of governance like Government Effectiveness (GE), Political Stability and Absence of Violence (AV), Rule of Law (RL), Regulatory Quality (RQ) and Voice and Accountability (VA). The findings indicate that Strong Governance frameworks significantly enhance FDI inflows in Sub-Saharan Africa. VA was found to be a very strong positive determinant. GE and PS were also found to have negative relationships in within-country analyses. The IFRS adoption, being a uniform variable throughout the sampled countries, was observed to increase investor confidence. These results imply that the improvement of governance are synergies that help to establish the stable, transparent, and predictable environment sought by investors. Thus, policymakers can improve the governance systems and provide citizen involvement in order to boost foreign investment and attract sustainable capital and economic growth in the region.

This study examines the impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on economic growth in South Africa over the period 2000 to 2023. An Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression model was employed to assess the relationship between FDI inflows and Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while controlling for key macroeconomic variables. The findings reveal that FDI exerts a significant positive influence on economic performance, with a 1% increase in FDI inflows associated with a 1.93% rise in GDP. However, high inflation exerts a detrimental effect, with a coefficient of -1.99, highlighting the importance of macroeconomic stability. The analysis also indicates that trade openness contributes positively to economic growth, while political risk remains a substantial deterrent to investment, as shown by a coefficient of -3.11. These findings underline the importance of maintaining a stable political environment, managing inflation effectively, and enhancing trade liberalisation to maximise the benefits of FDI. Policy recommendations include strengthening regulatory frameworks and fostering trade openness.

This paper examines the causal relationship between foreign divestment (FD), economic growth, and financial development in African countries between 2000 and 2020. The research addresses the inadequately studied influence of macroeconomic variables on FD, focusing on the African context, where scholarly investigations on FD remain scarce. The study seeks to provide policymakers with insights on strategies to mitigate FD outflows and promote sustainable development. The research employs the Dumitrescu-Hurlin Panel Causality test to investigate causal relationships between FD, economic growth, and financial development. The study uses panel data covering multiple African nations over two decades, offering a robust temporal and spatial analysis. The approach emphasises examining unidirectional and bidirectional causation within the macroeconomic framework, contributing to a nuanced understanding of the interplay between these variables. The main findings of the study reveal a unidirectional causation between FD and economic growth across African countries, although this relationship is not consistent in all instances. Additionally, a bidirectional causal relationship is identified between FD and financial development (FIN). These findings underscore the interconnectedness of FD with macroeconomic stability and highlight the importance of fostering economic growth and financial sector development to address FD outflows effectively. This study contributes to the underexplored area of FD in African nations by highlighting its causal relationships with economic growth and financial development. It offers valuable insights for policymakers, scholars, and multinational enterprises (MNEs). The findings further underscore the importance of sound governance practices, economic stability, and financial sector development in mitigating FD outflows and fostering sustainable development in Africa.

Foreign capital inflows (FCI) are essential for economic growth in developing countries. This study examines the socioeconomic factors affecting FCI in 31 Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, utilizing panel data from 1985 to 2019 and employing the System GMM dynamic modeling approach. The findings indicate that when foreign direct investment (FDI) is treated as an endogenous variable, real interest rate (RIR), life expectancy (LEX), GDP growth rate, and food security (foodsec) have significant positive impacts. Conversely, the real exchange rate (RER) and inflation (INF) negatively correlate with FDI. Human capital investment is not statistically significant while the relationship between lagged FDI and current FDI is positive but nonsignificant. When foreign portfolio investment (FPI) is considered an endogenous variable, only food security exhibits a positive and statistically significant factor, suggesting that food security can enhance FPI flows. The study recommends that SSA countries aiming to attract more FCI should focus on improving healthcare, food security, and education. It is also suggested that countries should develop highly skilled R&D employees, public and private scientific research institutions, and industrial concentration in a country because they fundamentally drive the development and success of foreign capital flow levels. Central banks should also implement effective strategies to optimize capital flows by advancing financial institutions.