This essay explores the role of the state in promoting exports and industrialization in the quest for transformation of African economies. It does this by exploring the role of trade in African economies followed by a brief look at the East Asian Developmental state. This is followed by an...

Purpose – This editorial aims to summarize the outcome of the Special Issue exploration on the theme “Is Africa the land of the future?”. Design/methodology/approach – The paper contextualises and synthesizes the set of Africa‐themed foresight papers included in the journal issue....