Introduction
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This study addresses some of these gaps and delivers an analysis that is both data-driven and policy-focused. The objective of this study is to explore the experience of zone programs, with a particular focus on Africa, to understand the factors that contribute to outcomes in both a static and dynamic context. It addresses the questions of whether and how zones can make a significant contribution to job creation, diversification, and growth in African countries.
Methodology This report is a synthesis of findings from two main streams of research conducted for the study: firm-level surveys of investors in SEZs and country case studies of SEZ programs.
SEZ Investor Surveys Original surveys were designed and conducted with foreign and domestic investors based in SEZs across the 10 countries included in the study. The surveys captured information about investment location decisions and the experience of establishing and operating a business inside the SEZ. A number of questions mirror those asked in the World Bank’s Enterprise Surveys, to allow for a comparison of responses from firms based inside and outside the SEZs. The surveys were conducted by local consultants in each country through face-to-face interviews with firm managers and owners. More than 600 surveys were completed across the 10 countries. In each country, surveys were conducted at three of the largest zones in the country (although the African countries all had fewer than three zones). Individual country “survey notes� were developed as an output of this activity. (For a description of the survey methodology and a summary of sampling statistics, see Appendix C.)
Case Studies Case studies were developed on the SEZ programs in each of the 10 countries. These were based primarily on semistructured interviews conducted in each country with investors, zone developers and operators, regulatory authorities, government representatives, and other stakeholders. Interviews were supplemented by secondary research on the history and development of the SEZ program, along with analysis of SEZ laws, regulations, and other relevant policy and legal documents. Individual country case studies were developed as an output of this activity; details on the stakeholders