GVCs, digitalisation and services in Africa: What we know and what we would like to know

Broadband connectivity, data-driven logistics, e-commerce, cloud services, and fintech reduce coordination costs and loosen the ties between production and physical proximity, opening the door to participation in Global Value Chains (GVCs). These technologies expand opportunities both to embed services into goods exports and to export services directly. This policy brief reviews the evidence on the extent and pattern of Africa’s participation in supply chain networks. Research gaps—data, Methodological, and Conceptual Obstacles— that prevent African countries from breaking into high-skilled, tradable service exports are identified. The paper concludes by proposing three research areas: understanding services-led integration; exploring the mechanisms of change; building the data foundations.