ABSTRACT

This chapter focuses on service delivery in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Next, it describes 'neoliberalism' in some detail. This is then followed by a discussion of African political economy, particularly in the nine countries under discussion: in West Africa they are Ghana, Senegal and Nigeria; in East Africa they are Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania; and in southern Africa, they are Malawi, South Africa and Zambia. The argument made here is that the particularities of African political economies frame the context within which approaches to service delivery take place, marking out the parameters of their possibilities for 'success' or 'failure'. The chapter examines the data pertaining to water and sanitation, providing some discussion regarding the role of neoliberalism therein. It emphasis on two aspects of water: water for agriculture and water for cities. The chapter finally summarizes the argument and reflects on the likelihood of moving 'beyond neoliberalism' in Africa's search for socially equitable, environmentally sustainable and economically viable development.