Scholars establish global research network on economic crime in Africa following workshop hosted at the University of Johannesburg

The joint workshop, titled ‘Global Research Network on Economic Crime in Africa’, took place in Johannesburg on 23 and 24 April 2025.

The workshop marked a fruitful collaboration between universities in the Global South and Global North, an effort that sought to contribute to research, knowledge and discussions on economic crime in Africa.

The meeting was held at the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Faculty of Humanities and organised by UJ’s Dr Ugljesa Radulovic (Department of Sociology) and Leeds’ Associate Professor Jörg Wiegratz at the School of Politics and International Studies (POLIS).

Dr Radulovic shared that the importance of the workshop was to bring economic crime researchers and analysts together and establish a long-term oriented, sustainable network that would ultimately support knowledge production and contribute to debates on economic crime in Africa, including matters of crime containment.

“Much research regarding economic crime in Africa has been produced. This has included the examination of fraud, trickery, organised crime, corporate irregularities, and even environmental-economic crime. It is precisely because of an abundance of research and public debate regarding the matter that our collaborative effort brought together this large group of researchers that contributed to cross-country, multi-disciplinary discussions about research, support and collaboration.” Dr Ugljesa Radulovic, University of Johannesburg

The workshop gathered together researchers, analysts and research-oriented practitioners with an interest in economic crime in Africa. Over the two days, colleagues from across the globe joined (both in-person and online) to discuss their research, the state and trends of scholarship regarding economic crime in Africa, matters of teaching economic crime in universities, and the benefits of a network dedicated to the analysis of economic crime in Africa.

The event was opened by the Vice Dean of Research for the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Johannesburg, Professor Pragna Rugunanan, with her welcoming the attendees to the groundbreaking event. Over 15 institutions from across the world were represented, including: Brock University; Centre for African Research (Gulu, Uganda); Centre for Policy Dialogue in Zambia; Durham University; Kenyatta University; King’s College London; Land and Equity Movement in Uganda; University of Cape Town; University of Johannesburg; Université Catholique de Louvain; University of Leeds; Makerere University and the Mountains of the Moon University, to name a few. This resulted in robust discussions and a multiplicity of views and opinions. The workshop was supported by POLIS’ Strategic Research Investment Fund.

Upon conclusion of the workshop, it was determined in an e-vote that a network will be established. The intent of the network is to work together to produce future workshops, seminars, and colloquiums, as well as research collaboration and outputs (in the form of peer-reviewed articles, short reports, etc.). This will be accomplished over an organic, decentralised, long-term progression. There will also likely be smaller thematic groups that sit under this larger group. The network now has over 30 members with 3 joining since the event, indicating the interest in such collaboration.

“It was a great platform for scholarly minds to meet and navigate the topic of “economic crime in Africa.” I was particularly intrigued by how much research is going on the topic already. The network will offer an opportunity for collaborations which can amplify existing research and also offer opportunities for more cross-country comparative studies and research.” Dr Rose Nakayi, Makerere University

Workshop attendee Jing-Rong Zeng from the Université Catholique de Louvain (Institute of Economic and Social Research, IRES) said participating in the workshop allowed her the opportunity to explore how research about economic crime can impact Africa: “I truly enjoyed the interdisciplinary discussions, which prompted me to think more deeply about how we understand research on economic crime, its landscape, and its impact in Africa. A sincere thank you to the organizers for this valuable network initiative.”

Further, Dr Annette Hübschle, Chief Research Officer of the Global Risk Governance Programme within the Public Law Department at the University of Cape Town, said the workshop had been “very inspiring and insightful”. Professor Ifeanyi Ezeonu from Brock University’s Department of Sociology noted: “the workshop reflected a compelling collection of scholarships on economic crimes in Africa, and the global research network which it promises to inaugurate, will expectedly provoke a seismic pulse in the push for an ontological recalibration of criminological knowledge to accommodate the African experience.” Moreover, Dr Suleman Lazarus from the London School of Economics and Political Science (Mannheim Centre for Criminology) stated: “this gathering represents a crucial step toward building a collaborative and interdisciplinary research network that centres African perspectives in the global conversation on economic crime. In light of persistent North–South imbalances in knowledge production, funding, and scholarly recognition, the initiative holds promise for fostering equitable partnerships and amplifying contextually grounded insights into economic crime in Africa.”

“The workshop was thought-provoking, inspiring and an eye-opener in researching economic crimes in the continent of Africa. The convergence of ideas from experts working around this central theme in Africa and its linkage particularly with the extractives was quite an amazing experience for me.” Arthur Owor, Director of Research and Operations at the Centre for African Research (Gulu, Uganda)

The organisers, Dr Radulovic and Associate Professor Wiegratz, shared that they hope that the growth of this network will keep researchers informed about what others write on economic crime in Africa: “we further hope that this network will lead to joint research projects, collegial support and exchange, engagement with actors that combat economic crime in Africa, and further workshops and conferences.”

If you are interested in joining the network, please contact: uradulovic@uj.ac.za and j.wiegratz@leeds.ac.uk.

Dr Jörg Wiegratz is Associate Professor of Global Political Economy and Development, specialising in the political and moral economy of neoliberalism in Africa, including economic fraud and anti-fraud measures. His edited collection, Capitalism and Economic Crime in Africa: The Neoliberal Period, was recently published by Routledge. He is a member of the GPE group at POLIS, LUCAS and the Centre for Global Development in the School of Politics and International Studies here at the University of Leeds.