Abstract:
Based on Ethiopian and Zambian case studies, this project explains how Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Sub-Saharan Africa contribute to regional development.

Aim:
This project aims to analyse 1. how and 2. why Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Sub-Saharan Africa contribute to regional development or develop into disintegrated enclaves. The study novelly combines conceptual considerations on enclaves, global production networks (GPN), and policy transfer. Empirically, the study will analyse SEZs of Chinese and domestic African developers and their embedding regions in two different countries, Ethiopia and Zambia. A special focus lies on labour processes and integration into local and global production networks.

Selection of papers:

Kiesel, C., & Dannenberg, P. (2023). Special Economic Zones in the Global South: Between integrated spaces and enclaves–a literature review. DIE ERDE–Journal of the Geographical Society of Berlin, 154(1-2), 5-19. https://doi.org/10.12854/erde-2023-606

Dannenberg, P., Kim, Y. & Schiller, D. (2013). Chinese Special Economic Zones in Africa: a new species of globalisation? African East-Asian Affairs, (2), 4-15. doi: 10.7552/0-2-103.

Blog article:

Kiesel, C., & Dannenberg, P. (2023). Special Economic Zones in the Global South: Between integrated spaces and enclaves–a literature review. DIE ERDE–Journal of the Geographical Society of Berlin, 154(1-2), 5-19.

Kiesel, C., Dannenberg, P., Hulke, C., Kairu, J., Diez, J. R., & Sandhage-Hofmann, A. (2022). An argument for place-based policies: The importance of local agro-economic, political and environmental conditions for agricultural policies exemplified by the Zambezi region, Namibia. Environmental Science & Policy, 129, 137-149

Kiesel, C., Dannenberg, P., 2021. Special Economic Zones in the Global South: Between Enclaves and Integrative Spaces. RSA Blog, Regional Studies Association, 2021-07-29, https://www.regionalstudies.org/news/blog-special-economic-zones-in-the-global-south-between-enclaves-and-integrative-spaces/

Poster:

Kiesel, C., Dannenberg, P., 2021. Special Economic Zones (SEZs): Between spatial Enclaves and local-global Production Networks. GSGS Conference, Geoscience Graduate School University of Cologne, Digital Conference, 2021-03-05.

Selection of presentations:

Kiesel, C., 2021. Special Economic Zones in the Global South: Economic upgrading, social downgrading? Series: Making Space for Labour Geography Series, AK Labour Geography. Digital series, 2021-11-23.

Kiesel, C., 2021. Public Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Subsahara Africa: Comparing Strategies and Governance. Jahrestagung Arbeitskreis Subsaharisches Afrika 2021. Digital conference, 2021-06-15.

Kiesel, C., 2020. Between Enclaves and Integrated Development – Domestic and Chinese Special Economic Zones in Sub-Saharan Africa. Kolloquium UMWIG – Umwelt Wirtschaftsgeographie. Digital conference, 2020-05-08.

Kiesel, C., 2020. Sonderwirtschaftszonen in Lusaka: Der Einfluss Chinas und Auswirkungen auf die Region. Interdisziplinäre Tagung: Sambia als Forschungskontext. Wuppertal, 2020-02-03.