ABSTRACT
The literature on the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainable development in Africa is only just emerging, and thus characterized by a wide range of diverse perspectives. While the analyses of the CSR-sustainable development nexus in Africa have been particularly insightful, it often lacks sufficient grounding in systematically accumulated empirical evidence. However, central to the CSR-sustainable development nexus debate in Africa is the disagreement over the reimagining of the role of business from being the cause to becoming a part of the solution to the problem of underdevelopment in the region. This chapter critically examines the CSR-sustainable development nexus literature in Africa and lays bare the controversies that have so far emerged. The chapter engages with the drivers of CSR, its dynamics and nature within Africa. It then examines the debate of whether or not contextual factors matters for CSR and its relationship with development. Crucially, it identifies differences between proponents of CSR is good for development and those that share opposing views at the conceptual, practical, and discourse levels. The chapter concludes by considering the emerging issues and its implications for future research agenda.
