This book examines the detrimental impact of illicit financial flows on South Africa’s development, political economy, and transformation in the 21st century. Over the years, illicit financial flows have led to the systematic looting and channelling away of South African resources, yet they are rarely studied by researchers looking to explain the country’s underdevelopment and political economy. This book looks across sectors, showing that illicit financial flows cut across all the key pillars of development, frustrating the betterment of peoples’ lives in South Africa. Investigating the problem from a decolonial perspective, the book delves deep into the catastrophic impacts of illicit financial flows for people and the economy, discusses how the problem is being combatted, and ultimately suggests solutions for rebuilding social trust between people and the state. Making an important contribution to the decolonial debate, as well as to discussions of South Africa’s political economy, this book will be of interest to researchers across African studies, global development, political science, law and corruption studies.

This publication identifies the main areas of weakness and potential areas for action to combat money-laundering, tax evasion, foreign bribery, and to identify, freeze and return stolen assets.

Gerard Emmanuel Kamdem Kamga, Serges Djoyou Kamga, and Arnold Kwesiga explore a relatively new phenomenon, namely referred to as illicit financial flows, that aim to impoverish the African continent and prevent its economic development. There is a direct relationship between illicit financial flows and failed initiatives to realize the right to development on the continent. For instance, in 2016, Africa received $41 billion towards public development while $50 billion left the continent through illicit financial flows. The gap between recent economic achievements on the continent and its state of generalized underdevelopment coupled with rampant poverty, corruption, prolonged economic crisis, and political instabilities signals an issue with resource allocations. The systematic theft of resources by multinational corporations and criminal networks is a hard blow to the idea of people-driven development in line with the Pan African vision of “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa” proclaimed by Agenda 2063. Right to Development and Illicit Financial Flows from Africa: Dynamics, Perspectives, and Prospects provides insights into the dynamics and perspectives on illicit financial flows and its dire impacts on the right to development and development initiatives across the continent.

Every year a staggering number of corporate service providers mask perpetrators of terrorist financing, corruption and illegal arms trades, but the degree to which firms flout global identification standards remains unknown. This book sheds new light on the sordid world of anonymous shell corporations through a series of field experiments.

A comprehensive thematic analysis of capital flight from Africa, it covers the role of safe havens, offshore financial centres, and banking secrecy in facilitating illicit financial flows and provides rich insights to policy makers interested in designing strategies to address the problems of capital flight and illicit financial flows.

Right to Development and Illicit Financial Flows from Africa: Dynamics, Perspectives, and Prospects discusses illicit financial flows and the right to development in Africa. The contributors examine recent examples of illicit financial flows and the impact that these have had on the African continent.