Africapitalism and the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa: A Critical Systematic Review of Evidence, Structural Tensions, and Governance Imperatives

Abstract

This article presents a critically grounded systematic narrative review of Africapitalism's theoretical claims and empirical contributions towards advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa. Applying a structured evidence-quality rubric that assesses source independence, design rigour, and risk of bias across five outcome domains (employment and poverty reduction; inequality and distributional justice; gender equity; environmental sustainability; and community development and human capital), the review evaluates the philosophy's four foundational senses (Progress & Prosperity, Parity, Peace & Harmony, and Place & Belongingness) as elaborated by Amaeshi and Idemudia (2015). Drawing on postcolonial theory, institutional economics, stakeholder theory, creating shared value scholarship, and environmental justice frameworks, we position Africapitalism within a broader theoretical ecology, identifying both its conceptual contributions and structural limitations. The analysis reveals that while Africapitalism demonstrates plausible contributions to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) through entrepreneurial ecosystem development, its capacity to meaningfully advance SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDGs 13–15 (Environmental Sustainability), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) remains empirically unsubstantiated and theoretically contested. Four critical gaps are identified and argued: the absence of independent longitudinal impact assessment; insufficient engagement with postcolonial structural power dynamics; underdeveloped gender analysis; and the conflation of elite philanthropy with systemic development. A forward research agenda is proposed, grounded in institutional accountability, intersectional equity, and environmental justice. The article concludes that Africapitalism's transformative potential hinges on genuine governance commitments that transcend mere rhetorical ambition.