Sub-Saharan Growth Surprises: Being Heterogeneous, Inland and Close to the Equator Does not Slow Growth Within Africa

We use two types of cross-country growth regression models to revisit explanations of slow growth in Africa looking at growth rate variation among African countries only. Both sets of models produce results that are surprising given conclusions based on global sample: within Africa, we find a greater coastal population negatively and greater ethnic heterogeneity positively associated with growth, while distance from the equator is at first negatively and only later positively associated with growth. Our results suggest also that institutional and policy variables are endogenous to geographical and historical factors including the colonising power and the religious and ethnic make-up of the country.