Regional Economic Integration concept on South African construction industry: Lessons for other African construction industries

Authors

  • Akinrata Ebunoluwa Bimbola Federal University of Technology Akure

Keywords:

Construction industry (CI), Regional economic integration (REI), SACU, SADC, South African construction industry (SACI)

Abstract

Purpose: Regional economic integration initiatives have been prospect of enhanced economic growth in South African construction industry. The impact of regional economic integration and globalization on construction industries in South Africa is evidenced by the decreasing market share of the local players in the industry. Developing countries need to institute radical reforms in their development agenda in order to leapfrog, and bridge this difference. That is why increase in foreign participation in construction activities in South Africa, cross border strategic alliances, technology transfer are some impact of Regional economic integration on the industry.

The aim of this paper is to understand the term ' Regional economic integration ' and to study its impact on South African construction industry and the lessons to be learnt by other African construction industries. Its objectives include investigating the positive impacts on the Construction Industry, discussing the Regional economic integration in southern African i.e SACU and SADC; identifying the some lessons from it.

Methodology: These will be briefly discussed mainly by exploring the literature and throwing light on the views of people who investigated and wrote in this field.

Results: Region economic integration creates more profitable industries that demand skilled labour among South African construction industry. Wages are rising up and unemployment is getting less among skilled labour who managed to acquire skills in new technologies in different developing and advanced countries within the region.

Policy recommendations: The paper ends with conclusions and recommendations, stressing the need for improvement on other construction industries in Africa participation in Regional economic integration, in related to lessons South African construction industry.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Akinrata Ebunoluwa Bimbola, Federal University of Technology Akure

post graduate

References

Alden, C. and Soko, M. (2005). South Africa's economic relations with Africa: Hegemony and its discontents. Journal of Modern African Studies 43(3): 367-392. | Article

Alemayehu G , Haile K. ( 2002). Regional Economic Integration in Africa: A Review of Problems and Prospects with a Case Study of COMESA*

Aryeetey, E (2000) "˜Regional Integration in West Africa' (Paper Presented at A Policy Workshop organized by the OECD Development Center at the Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva 13 October 2000)

Aryeetey, E. and A. Oduro (1996) "˜Regional Integration Efforts in Africa: An Overview', in J. J. Teunissen (ed). Regionalism and the Global Economy: The Case of Africa. The Hague: FONDAD.

Aryeetey, E. 1998. The prospects and Priorities of Regional Integration in Sub"Saharan Africa. In: Regional Integration and Multilateral Cooperation in the Global Economy, page 137"154. Edited by Teunissen, JJ. 1998. The Hague. Forum on the Debt and Development (FONDAD).

Baldwin, E. Richard and Venables, ( 2004) J. Anthony. Regional Economic Integration, London School of Economics.

Balassa, B. 1961. The theory of economic integration. London. George Allen and Unwin.

Biswaro, J.M. 2003. Perspectives on Africa's integration and cooperation from OAU to AU: an old wine in a new bottle. WIU. Washington

Cox, P. (2013) Nigerian economy gaining on regional heavyweight South Africa, 24 September, http:// www.voanews.com/articleprintview/1755773.html , accessed 12 February 2014.

Drewer, S. (1980) Construction and Development; A New Perspective, Habitat International V.5,3/4,pp 395-428.

Daniels, John D, Radebaugh, H. Lee, Sullivan, P. Daniel. (2004.) International Business "Environments and Operations." 10th Ed, Pearson Education: Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, United States,

Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). 2004. Assessing Regional Integration in Africa I (ARIA I). United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa.

Iyoha, A. Milton. Enhancing Africa's Trade: From Marginalization to an Export-Led Approach to Development, African Development Bank, Economic Research Working Paper Series (77), 2005.

Khan, M. (2004) Globalisation and its impact on the labor markets, Economic Vista, Quarterly magazine- international [online], Available at http://www.ecovista.netfirms.com/trade/globalisation.htm>, Accessed on 24 September 2004

Lee, R. (2011) South Africa and regional economic integration, 10 August, http://www.osisa.org/economic-justice/south- africa-and-regional-economic-integration , accessed on 27 November 2014.

Maruping, Mothae.( 2005) Africa in the World Economy-The National, Regional and International Challenges, FONDAD, The Hague,.

Matthews, Alan(2003) Regional Integration and Food Security in Developing Countries, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 2003.

Manone R. M. (2008) the importance of regional economic integration in Africa

Ombeni N. M ( 2008) The Benefits of Regional Economic Integration for Developing Countries in Africa: A Case of East African Community (EAC)*

Ofori G. ( 2000) Challenges of Construction Industries in Developing Countries : Lessons from Various Countries. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference of Construction in Developing Countries. Gaborone, Botswana

Park, Innwon and Park, Soonchan. Reform-Creating Regional Trade Agreements and Foreign Direct Investment: Applications for East Asia, Working Paper Series2007-01, 2007.

Ronge, Eric (2000) "˜Trade Within the COMESA and Between The East African Community and the European Union' The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA), Memo.

Taylor, I., Nel, P. and van der Westhuizen, J. (2002) New Africa, globalization and the confines of elite reformism: Getting the rhetoric right, getting the strategy wrong. Third World Quarterly 23(1): 163-180. | Article |

Van Aardt, M. (1996) A foreign policy to die for: South Africa's response to the Nigerian crisis. Africa Insight 26(2): 107-119.

Downloads

Published

2016-11-09

How to Cite

Bimbola, A. E. (2016). Regional Economic Integration concept on South African construction industry: Lessons for other African construction industries. International Journal of Economics, 1(2), 48–60. Retrieved from https://iprjb.org/journals/index.php/IJECON/article/view/169

Issue

Section

Articles