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GrowZA Research Papers
Independent research. Critical inquiry. Applied insight.
GrowZA Research publishes working papers and applied research examining the institutions, investment decisions and systems that shape development outcomes. Grounded in African realities and informed by international scholarship, our work challenges prevailing assumptions, develops practical frameworks and contributes evidence-informed perspectives to policy, investment and institutional practice.
Our research is intended to advance debate, inform decisions and bridge the distance between what development seeks to achieve and how it actually works.
26 Oct 2026
The Investment Paradox
Capital Allocation, Investment Discipline and Social Value in South African Corporate Social Investment
Corporate social investors routinely assess the performance of the organisations they fund.
But who assesses the quality of the investment decisions themselves?
This research paper examines how capital is allocated, structured and stewarded within South African corporate social investment.
Drawing on international investment scholarship, sector evidence and institutional analysis, it explores the relationship between financing decisions and social value, and proposes a practical framework for strengthening investor accountability.
Research area: Social Investment & Development Finance
ORCID: 0009-0009-0704-1060
22 Mar 2023
Exploring the Portability of Skills and the Precarity of Work
Youth Digital Skilling and Uneven Labour-Market Opportunities in Emerging Economies
Young people are increasingly expected to develop transferable skills, adapt to changing technologies and move between employers, sectors and platforms. But does greater skills portability actually translate into better employment opportunities and sustained economic mobility?
This research paper examines the relationship between digital skilling, labour-market demand and precarious work in emerging economies. Drawing on international research collaboration, labour-market scholarship and practitioner inquiry, it explores why acquiring skills does not necessarily result in access to decent work.
The paper introduces a labour-market conversion architecture linking capability, recognition, employment footholds, accumulated experience, portability and labour demand. It also develops the concept of portable precarity: circumstances in which workers become increasingly skilled and adaptable without gaining corresponding improvements in economic security, bargaining power or career progression.
Research area: Youth Employment, Skills Development & Labour-Market Systems
ORCID: 0009-0009-0704-1060
17 Feb 2026
Land, Flows and Authority in Northern Ghana
An exploratory analysis of how historical trade networks, customary land authority, statutory planning and regional value chains shape urban development in northern Ghana.
Developed through an EU-funded mission involving Expertise France and Les Ateliers de Cergy, the paper examines the tensions between inherited territorial systems and contemporary planning institutions, arguing that sustainable urban development must engage with the existing structures of authority, economic circulation and ecological dependence through which cities grow.