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Dunning Africa Centre

The DAC isn’t a place, it’s a continent-wide conversation

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Who we are

Established in 2021, the Dunning Africa Centre seeks to act as a ‘virtual hub’ to promote collaboration between research institutions, universities, and businesses to study the impact of globalisation and international business.

 

Under the auspices of Professor Rajneesh Narula, OBE, the Centre seeks to connect researchers outside the continent interested in engaging with Africa-based actors. The Centre believes that it is time for Africa to reclaim its identity and make authentic, assertive inroads into the global business market. Africans do business like no one else. We have a unique outlook and hard-won experience in one of the most challenging and complex business environments on the planet.

 

The DAC is a sister centre to the John H Dunning Centre for International Business in the UK, renamed in honour of the late Professor John H Dunning, and is also affiliated with the Dunning Latin American Centre.

 

Internationally-renowned members of the centre include Professor Mark Casson, Professor Rajneesh Narula, Professor Alain Verbeke and Prof Chris Brewster.


To view all members of the Dunning Centre network and the International Business and Strategy Department at Henley Business School click here.

 

 

Our focus areas

We strive to ask the right questions. Research at the DAC is grounded in the economic realities of the continent, focusing directly on the structural priorities that drive sustainable African business growth.

 

Improving the efficiency of Africa’s informal economy

Our researchers actively explore solutions to the complex challenges within informal markets. Key initiatives include:

  • Financial services inclusion:
    A South African study examining economic inclusion and structural transformation across the formal-informal divide.
  • Cross-border trade dynamics: Research at the Busia border post (Uganda–Kenya), analysing why informal cross-border trade persists despite formalisation efforts like the Simplified Trade Regime.
  • Agricultural supply chains: An upcoming study series investigating informality within Nigeria’s agricultural networks, expanding on foundational work .

 

Deepening domestic integration into global value chains

We examine practical pathways for global supply chains to partner more effectively with local entrepreneurs and domestic enterprises, especially within low-tech and resource-intensive sectors.

 

Informing industrial policy for continental competitiveness

Our advisory work translates research into policy impact at international forums, including the B20/G20 business community. We contribute evidence-based recommendations on value chain resilience, structural development, public-private partnerships, and frictionless cross-border trade.

 

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Part of a global research network

Henley Business School is a global institute with campuses in Helsinki, Johannesburg and Reading in the United Kingdom. By linking our African research directly with our UK sister centres, we bridge the gap between global theory and local practice, sharing data, faculty, and impact across continents.

United Kingdom

Dunning Africa Centre for International Business

Research in this UK centre straddles the fields of international business, strategic management, innovation, development, and human resource management, and balances the necessity of a deep theoretical grounding with the added value of a strong applied focus. With its network of partners, it addresses both management- and policy-related real-world challenges, working with firms, NGOs, and international organisations.  The centre was renamed in honour of the late Professor John H Dunning.

Latin America

Dunning Latin America Centre

The Dunning Latin America Centre (DLAC) is a leading hub for research, dialogue, and collaboration on the role of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in Latin America’s economic transformation. Inspired by the legacy of Professor John Dunning, our mission is to explore how foreign direct investment (FDI), global value chains (GVCs), and international business strategies can contribute to sustainable and inclusive development across the region.

Meet the research centre team

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Watch previous webinars

Borderless Africa: A sceptics guide to the African Continental Free Trade Area
African Marginalisation: Mobilising to Mainstream the African Continent
The untapped potential of Africa’s creative industries
How will the African Continental Free Trade Area affect investment flows to Africa?
Learning from Ghana’s economic crisis
What are the challenges and opportunities to achieving universal healthcare in Africa?
Fintech in Africa: Opportunities & Challenges
What lessons can African businesses learn from Nigeria’s challenging history?
The role of business leaders in meeting basic needs in Africa
Navigating Africa's FDI landscape to harness growth
Can the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) deliver the common African market?
Will Trump’s policies reshape Africa’s global trade position? Experts weigh in
Indian firms in Africa – why are they so much less visible than Chinese investors?
What will the US elections mean for African businesses?
Unlocking Africa's creative potential - Lessons from South Africa's gaming and animation industries
The state of Africa's music industry - can artists still make money while making music?
DAC webinar: Global value chains and the new geopolitical world order – Where does Africa fit in?