No abstract

Africa is a continent with remarkable economic potential yet the least developed largely due to its inadequate human capital to transform this potential into social and economic development. The focus on provision of classroom education as the cornerstone of human capital development in Africa has not produced the desirable outcomes expected. We see an important role in this process within the workplace, and thus argue that the role of Human Resource (HR) professionals in Human Capital development in Africa deserves serious attention. The paper outlines why and how HR professionals can contribute to the development of Africa's human capital. It also highlights the challenges HR professionals will face and the competencies they will need to address the challenges. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research.

This conceptual article explores the evolution of dependency theory and deploys the theory to understand China´s contemporary presence in Africa as a case study to provide new insights about the usability of this theory and its fundamental concepts. To this end, this article provides commentary to dependency theory and develops further its theoretical foundations from the viewpoint of this case example. In an attempt to understand and explain the phenomenon of contemporary Sino-African engagement, we explore dependency theory in order to unpack the complexity inherent in China's contemporary presence in Africa and ask whether this ´system-level´ relationship is likely to end in a similar fashion as espoused by dependency theorists in their analysis of North-South relationship. This paper concludes that straightforward deployment of dependency theory does not suffice in the light of contemporary Sino-African engagement. We opine that China-Africa relationship suggests a case of growing interdependency. We conclude that beyond the economic partnership, cooperation and solidarity, China's presence in Africa presents Africa a challenge to question the status quo, reorient their values, and to adopt an inward focus on their developmental needs and priorities.

The inflow of Chinese investments into Africa's telecom sector presents opportunities for skill building and technology transfer, and African governments through their policy measures and actions can maximise these opportunities. This article examines how Chinese investments in Africa have contributed to human capital development and what role the government has played in leveraging these investments. Analysing data from a case study of Huawei in Nigeria, the study finds that Chinese enterprises operating in Africa are well placed to contribute significantly to skill building and technology transfer. However, their efforts need to be supported by government policies, which are important for human capital development. This paper contributes to the emergent literature on Chinese economic engagement in Africa and its implications for human capital development in Africa. Moreover, it provides an insight into the role of government policy in human capital development in Africa.

This article uses a case study approach to discuss the effects of Chinese Economic Engagement (CEE) on three dimensions of human capital development (HCD): local employment, training and skill building and knowledge and technology transfer. The study findings suggests that CEE can and does contribute to HCD in Africa, however this is dependent on certain sectoral factors and contextual conditions. This study advances a working hypothesis that the HCD impact of CEE will vary across countries and sectors of the African economy. This working hypothesis seeks to guide further research towards developing a theoretical framework for the study of CEE in Africa and its effects on HCD. The article also identifies research areas that should be further explored in order to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of CEE in Africa.