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Paper short abstract:

This article discusses the development of philanthropy in Africa since the 1990s to reflect on the transformations of economic elites. We analyse the relations philanthropists create with their beneficiaries, states, societies and individuals and how this shapes networks of governance.

Paper long abstract:

This article analyses the development of philanthropy in Africa since the 1990s to reflect on the transformations of economic elites and big man politics. Until now the literature has focused on the cultural specificity and essence of philanthropy on the continent. We move away from this paradigm to discuss the practices of economic elites and of their foundations. Using publicly available data and a large number of interviews, Our approach and method focuses on the relations philanthropists create with their beneficiaries, states, societies and individuals. Our argument is that these practices are shaping three types of networks of governance which do not "invest" in African societies in the same way and do not rely on the same political economy. A first type of big men engages in charity to become intermediary of the government and political parties they rely on. A second type of economic elites invest wealth through grants and programs that benefit civil society actors to produce political norms from the outside of the state, with the support of international organisations. We highlight the advent of a third type of elites that mostly comes from the banking and advisory industry. It refuses to engage in charity and claim to invest in entrepreneurs and companies to counterbalance the effects of “bad” leadership and corruption. Yet, these elites work in partnership with the US, European countries and China to Africanize financial capital flows which they channel directly to the new political communities and visions of development they shape.