Africa has been fighting against colonialism and Eurocentrism for a long time in an attempt to reverse the regime of oppression and socio-economic marginalization and exploitation, and take back control of its cultural identity and right to self-determination. This adventure requires the recognition and revitalisation of indigenous arts, culture, and law—all of which have been subjugated and ignored during colonial rule. Ironically, the situation has not improved much by the dominating presence of post-independent neo-colonial structures and perpetuated Eurocentric phenomenon that have been ingrained into the socio-cultural and economic fabrics of the African state. This research explores the critical need for integrating science on African indigenous arts, culture, and legal systems, as a way of globalizing as well as revitalizing these elements, towards the ultimate emancipation of the continent from the vestiges of colonialism and Eurocentricism. Relying on the postcolonial, and indigenous knowledge systems theoretical frameworks, the study engages the ethnographic, collaborative and interdisciplinary research approaches, subjecting data obtained to thematic analysis. Underscoring the profound interconnectedness of science, indigenous arts, and cultural heritage, the study argues that combining scientific methods with indigenous African epistemology provides a powerful framework for advancing Africa’s true independence from the protracted legacies of colonialism and Eurocentrism. The research concludes that a holistic integration of these elements therefore, is indispensable for fostering a decolonized and inclusive approach to knowledge production, self-determination and sustainable development, against the background of the rich insights and sustainable practices embedded within the African cultural traditions. Ultimately, the research recommends that embracing and integrating science on indigenous epistemologies can propel Africa towards an emancipated, truly independent, and culturally affirming future, transcending the enduring legacies of colonialism and Eurocentrism.

South Africa, like many emerging economies, grapples with the challenges of rapid urbanisation, unequal access to resources, and historical spatial inequalities. Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach that reimagines urban real estate development as a catalyst for positive social change. This paper explores the imperative of inclusive urban real estate development in South Africa and presents innovative strategies to promote equity, accessibility, and sustainability in urban environments. Following a quantitative inquiry technique, primary data was gathered from 109 built environment professionals with experience in sustainable urban development. To support this, descriptive and inferential statistics, particularly exploratory factor analysis (EFA), were used. According to the descriptive analysis using the mean score (MS) ranking technique, the development of affordable housing was one of the higher up-front innovative strategies for reshaping real estate development. Ensuring objectivity in city planning, re-engineering the city streets and buildings to create a safer environment were among the highly ranked strategies. The EFA further demonstrated that “urban redevelopment”, “government regulations”, “spatial planning”, “urban policy” and “diversification” were the underlying groups of new approaches for inclusive development. Implementing these innovative strategies, South Africa can move towards a more inclusive and equitable urban landscape, where urban real estate development becomes a force for positive social change, fostering sustainable economic growth and improving the quality of life for all citizens. This research contributes to the ongoing dialogue on urban development in South Africa and offers actionable insights for policymakers, developers, and community stakeholders invested in shaping more inclusive cities.

Leisure education has an impact not only on individuals but also on the environment and society. The present study aimed to explore and describe experts’ knowledge and experience about leisure education to develop leadership among youth with physical disabilities. The present study used a qualitative research approach through an exploratory design to answer the research question. Five participants were purposefully recruited and selected based on their expertise in the topic of interest. Participants’ expertise ranged from leisure, recreation, youth and leadership. The participants had experience working in higher education institutions, and community projects, held doctorate qualifications, and have over ten years in this field. Data was collected online using Google Meet software using semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions. Data was analyzed using a thematic analysis framework and guidelines. The findings of this study suggest that youth with physical disabilities can develop personal capacity through leisure education programmes. Leisure education programmes can be meaningful to youth with physical disabilities and have a developmental impact, including leadership. Youth with physical disabilities’ capacities and abilities should be nurtured and protected to allow growth and independence. The implications are that leisure education programmes for leadership development must be intentional to achieve the intended outcome.

The ultimate objective of the study was to investigate the effects of being landlocked on the living standards in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries from 1991 to 2019. Adopting the two-step estimation technique of System GMM (generalized method of moments), the study found that being landlocked has a negative and significant effect on the living standards in SSA countries when using GDP per capita as the living standard measure. Moreover, the historical living standard experiences of SSA countries have a positive and significant influence on the current living standard level. In addition, the population growth rate has a positive and significant effect on the living standards in SSA countries. On the other hand, the official exchange rate, broad money as a percentage of GDP, and inflation have a negative and significant effect on the living standards in SSA countries. Generally, the estimated result reveals the existence of a significant variation in the living standards in landlocked and coastal SSA countries. This study suggests that regional integration between landlocked and transit countries should be improved to minimize entry costs and increase access to global markets for landlocked countries. We argue that this study is of interest to landlocked and coastal countries to increase trade integration and promote the development of both groups, and it will contribute to the scarce empirical evidence.

This study examines the relationship between macroeconomic determinants and education levels in eight selected African oil-exporting countries (AOECs) over the period 2000–2022. Drawing on human capital theory, the paper scrutinizes the impact of factors such as income inequality, health outcome, economic growth, human development, unemployment, education expenditure, institutional quality, and energy consumption on education levels. Employing robust estimation techniques such as fixed effects (FE), random effects (RE), pooled mean group (PMG) and cross-section autoregressive distributed lag model (CS-ARDL), the study unveils vital static and dynamic interactions among these determinants and education levels. Findings reveal notable positive and significant connections between education levels and some of the variables—human capital development, institutional quality, government expenditure on education, and energy consumption, while income inequality demonstrates a consistent negative relationship. Unexpectedly, health outcomes exhibit a negative impact on education levels, warranting further investigation. Furthermore, the analysis deepens understanding of long-run and short-run relationships, highlighting, for example, the contradictory impact of gross domestic product (GDP) and unemployment on education levels in AOECs. Finally, the study recommends targeted human development programs, enhanced public investment in education, institutional reforms for good governance, and sustainable energy infrastructure development.

African air transport is expected to take off after the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) launch in January 2018. Unfortunately, this seems not to be the case, particularly in West Africa, where adequate direct local flight is highly difficult to find. Hence, the fundamental question is: what levers should be activated for an effective revival of this sector? This paper aims to analyze West African air transport competitiveness factors by collecting data physically through surveys in various West African airports (Abidjan, Cotonou, Accra, Lome) also by interviewing professionals in the sector (Air traffic controllers, Air Navigation Service Providers, Air transports Managers, etc.) and among others, SAATM reports to appreciate its implementation. We were able to survey 435 actors (individuals and key informants) from January to July 2023 to evaluate quality of service, airline performance, safety, customer satisfaction etc. Airline operating costs were analyzed to understand the associated bottlenecks. The results show that SAATM is not yet well implemented in all contracting states, travelers are not satisfied with the air supply (airlines, infrastructure and fares) and taxation excessively increases ticket prices. The main factors for West African air transport take-off are liberalization, taxation and infrastructure investments.