Abstract

Development has remained elusive in Africa. Through theoretical contributions and case studies focusing on Southern Africa’s former white settler states, South Africa and Zimbabwe, this volume responds to the current need to rethink (and unthink) development in the region. The authors explore how Africa can adapt Western development models suited to its political, economic, social and cultural circumstances, while rejecting development practices and discourses based on exploitative capitalist and colonial tendencies. Beyond the legacies of colonialism, the volume also explores other factors impacting development, including regional politics, corruption, poor policies on empowerment and indigenization, and socio-economic and cultural barriers.

Busani Mpofu is a senior researcher at AMRI, College of Graduate Studies, University of South Africa, and a Research Associate in the Human Economy program, University of Pretoria. His main research interests are in African economic history, with a focus on Third-world urbanization, urban poverty, inclusive development, development discourse and theory, and Land reform and agrarian histories in Africa.

Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni is a Professor and Acting Executive Director of Change Management Unit (CMU), University of South Africa. He is the founder and coordinator of the Africa Decolonial Research Network (ADERN) based in the College of Human Sciences, University of South Africa. He is a decolonial theorist who has published extensively in African history, African politics, and development.