Abstract
In this chapter, key factors that define sub-Saharan African urban centres as gateway cities, under-connected cities or largely disconnected cities in global value chains (GVCs) are examined. Cities with significantly higher positive trade coefficients than those of the other cases are considered as being gateways, reaching higher levels of international trade. A generally low level of city connectedness across the subcontinent is shown and explained by the typical role of sub-Saharan African countries in GVCs: only the initial stages thereof are found there, whereas value-addition happens beyond the region. Moreover, probable explanations for the spatial distribution of gateway cities as well as under-connected and largely disconnected cities are given.
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Acknowledgement
This author is grateful for the input provided by Sören Scholvin and Ivan Turok, who made helpful suggestions on a first and second draft of this chapter.
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Geyer, H.S. (2019). Gateway Cities, Under-Connected Cities and Largely Disconnected Cities in Global Value Chains in Sub-Saharan Africa. In: Scholvin, S., Black, A., Revilla Diez, J., Turok, I. (eds) Value Chains in Sub-Saharan Africa. Advances in African Economic, Social and Political Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-06206-4_14
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