Many African states have now regained their independence, however, sustainable
economic development and relations remain a dream. The African powerhouse is
hosted at the African Union (AU) and it is aimed at achieving unity, cohesion, solidarity
and economic freedom. To achieve this, it has put in place several international
agreements. However, even though one of the main aims of the AU is to achieve
economic independence, it still does not have a stand-alone binding AU Investment
Agreement. Foreign investment at the AU level is currently regulated under the African
Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA Agreement). The AU is currently
negotiating the AfCFTA Agreement Investment Protocol. Furthermore, the AU has put
in place the Pan-African Investment Code of 2016 (PAIC) which aims to provide a
model and guidelines for regulating investment in Africa.
In light of the above, the question that begs for an answer is: Are the above reforms
adequate to achieve sustainable economic development and relations in Africa? The
study is centred around interrogating the gaps in the current African foreign investment
framework with a purpose of charting the new reformed and Africanised AU Investment
Agreement. To this end, the study encompasses a reformed, decolonised and
Africanised approach which places African countries at the centre of its policy making
and implementation.
The study is structured sequentially in that it identifies problem statement, legal
questions, aims and objectives which are pillars of the whole thesis. The study then
moves to provide a historically overview of foreign investment in Africa from the Global
perspective. The study then moves to provide historical events which are aimed at
debunking some of the prevailing notions regarding the emergence and evolution of
foreign investment in Africa. Once Africa’s history and its contribution to the
development of foreign investment as a field of law has been put to the fore, the study
shifts to the current foreign investment landscape. It does this in order to assess
Africa’s efforts and challenges that stand in its way of achieving sustainable economic
development and relations. The study then compares the Southern African
Development Community Protocol on Finance and Investment of 2016 and the PAIC
with a purpose of charting the proposed Africanised and reformed AU Investment
Agreement in order to deal with the challenges highlighted throughout the study.
Matiko yo tala eAfrika se mani ntshuxeko wa rihanyo. Kambe ntshuxeko wa ikhonomi
kumbe swa timali na vuxaka exikarhi ka matiko ya Afrika awu se fikeleriwa. Mihlangano
ya ma tiko ya Afrika yi kumeka eAfrican Union (AU). Swinwana swa xikongomelo swa
mihlangano leyi I ku fikelela ntwanano, ku khomanana ni ntshuxeko eka swa timali.
Afrkia yi kotile ku fikelela swinwana swa swikongomelo leswi, kambe ya ha tikeriwa hi
ku fikelela ntshuxeko wa swa timali kumbe ikhonomi. AU yile kuringeteni hi matimba
ku fikelela ntshuxeko lowu hiku veka swiyenge swo hambana-hambana. Kambe
xiphiqo-nkulu a ku na xiphemu lexi xi nga tiyimela xi ri xoxe lexi xi nga langutana na
timhaka ta vuvekisi eAfrika. Vuvekisi bya le matikweni mambe eAfrika byi voniwa
ehansi ka mpfumelelano wa African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA
Agreement). Matiko lawa yanga le hansi ka Africa ma karhi male ku burisaneni leswaku
ku vekiwa mpfumelelano lowu wu ngatava ehansi ka AfCFTA Agreement.
Mpfumelelano/ntwanano lowu wu ta vitaniwa AfCFTA Agreement Investment Protocol.
Na kambe AU yivekile xiboho xa Pan African Investment Code of 2016 (PAIC) ku yi
kombisa vuleteri bya timhaka ta vuvekisi eAfrika.
Kuya hi leswi swinga tsariwa laha e henhla, xivutiso-nkulu hi lexi: Xana mintwanano
ya AfCFTA Agreement na PAIC yita swi ta kota ku fikelela ntshuxeko wa swa timali na
vuxaka kuya kuyile eAfrica? Vulavisisi-nkulu na xikongomelo swa dyondzo leyi i ku
kuma ndlela yo pfala vangwa leri ri nga kona eAfrika. Leswi swi ta endliwa hi ku
mpfampfarhuta no tsala mpfumelelano lowu wungata tsariwa hi tlhelo ra Afrika ra AU
Investment Agreement. Mpfampfarhuto lowu wu ta tekela e nhlokweni ni ku tlhela wu
veka matiko ya Afrika emahlweni loko swita e ka timhaka ta swa timali, ikhonomi na
vuxaka.
Xivumbeko xa dyondzo leyi xa landzelerisa, na kona xi fambisa xi leswi: Xisungula hiku
humesa e ri valeni xiphiqo, xivutiso-nkulu na swikongomelo leswi swinga khoma
dyodzo leyi. Loko yi heta sweswo, dyondzo leyi yita nika matimu hi vu enti e ka swa
vuvekisi emisaveni hinkwayo. Loko yi heta sweswo, yita nika xiga lexi ngata komba ku
i khale Africa yi ngenelela timhaka ta vuvekisi na swa timali; naku a swi sungulanga
loko valungu va fika eAfrika. Ndzhaku ka sweswo, dyondzo leyi yita languta laha Afrika
yinga kona e ka nkarhi wa sweswi kuya hi swiyimo swa timali, ikhonomi na vuvekisi.
Dyondzo leyi yi endla leswi hi xikongomelo xo komba vangwa na swiphiqo leswi swi pfalaka ku humelela ka Afrika. Loko yi heta leswi, yita fananisa mipfumelelano ya
Southern African Development Community Protocol on Finance and Investment of
2016 na PAIC. Leswi swi ta endliwa hi xikongomelo xo tsala mpfumelelano wa AU
Investment Agreement lowu wu ngata pfala swiphiqo wa swa timali, ikhonomi na
vuvekisi eAfrika.
