Pathways to Progress: Unveiling Structural Change in Africa Through Economic Transformation, Technology, Talent, and Tourism

Hugo Pinto (), Evans Odoi, Carla Nogueira and Luiz Fernando Câmara Viana
Additional contact information
Hugo Pinto: Faculty of Economics, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Evans Odoi: Faculty of Economics, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Carla Nogueira: Faculty of Economics, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Luiz Fernando Câmara Viana: Federal Institute of Brasília, Brasília 70830-450, DF, Brazil

Economies, 2025, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-22

Abstract: African economies are undergoing significant structural transformation, transitioning from agriculture to manufacturing, services, and technology-driven industries. Driven by urbanization, technological innovation, and global trade, this shift offers opportunities for sustainable growth but faces challenges such as infrastructure gaps and institutional hurdles. This paper examines the dynamics of structural change in 54 African countries, focusing on the roles of technology, talent, and tourism. Using World Bank data, factor and cluster analyses reveal five latent components: structural conditions, public sector capacities, dynamic conditions, urbanization, and growth. The analysis categorizes countries into six clusters, from Developing Economies to African Powerhouses. The findings emphasize the critical role of technology in boosting productivity, the importance of talent development through education and workforce integration, and the potential of sustainable tourism to drive transformation. This research provides a comprehensive framework for understanding Africa’s structural transformation, offering actionable insights to address disparities and promote equitable development across the continent.

Keywords: Africa; structural change; economic transformation; technology; talent development; tourism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E F I J O Q (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7099/13/1/21/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7099/13/1/21/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jecomi:v:13:y:2025:i:1:p:21-:d:1567514

Access Statistics for this article

Economies is currently edited by Ms. Hongyan Zhang

More articles in Economies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().