Privatisation in Africa

The divestiture of public enterprises has become an increasingly salient issue in Africa. Since the early 1980s, privatisation activity has occurred in most states, with major programmes in one‐third. This pattern of state restructuring has reflected both external and internal pressures, though the former have played by far the more dynamic role. Given the diverse national, class and regional interests it touches upon, divestiture remains not just technically difficult but also a politically sensitive issue for African regimes. Though privatisation programmes have faced multiple obstacles in practice, they provide an important marker as to the shifting balance which is occurring between states and private capital in Africa.