Research & policy
How economies change.
What that means for work.
I study the role of technology, foreign investment, and global economic integration in development and employment, particularly in Africa. My work combines empirical research with policy analysis.
Selected work
From fields to factories
With Jann Lay and Van Tran, I construct a satellite-based measure of Vietnam's special economic zone expansion. Linking it to labour-market data, we find shifts into manufacturing, higher wages, and more formal employment, with especially strong gains for women.
AI in Africa: diffuse widely, build selectively
A policy argument for broad AI adoption, local adaptation, and strategic capacity. It examines how African countries can benefit from AI while managing infrastructure constraints and dependence on foreign providers.
Policy analysis →Journal publications
From Fields to Factories: Special Economic Zones, Foreign Direct Investment, and Labour Markets in Vietnam
Tevin Tafese, Jann Lay & Van Tran · 2025 · Journal of Development Economics, 174, 103467.
Africa’s Emergent Tech Sector: Characteristics and Development Implications
Jann Lay & Tevin Tafese · 2025 · Africa Spectrum, 60(1), 106–126.
Mapping African technology firms and examining the development potential—and limits—of digital platforms.
Greenfield FDI and Job Creation in Africa
T. Lakemann, Jann Lay, R. Schnars & Tevin Tafese · 2025 · Review of World Economics, 161, 413–440.
Review: Making Africa Work
Tevin Tafese · 2018 · European Review of International Studies, 5(1), 86–92. Book review.
Policy writing & reports
AI in Africa: Diffuse Widely, Build Selectively
Tevin Tafese · 2026 · GIGA Focus Africa, 4/2026.
Ten Things to Watch in Africa in 2026
Christian von Soest & Tevin Tafese (eds.) · 2026 · GIGA Focus Africa, 1/2026.
Decent Work in Global Supply Chains
Jann Lay & Tevin Tafese (eds.) · 2025 · Sustainable Global Supply Chains Annual Report 2024.
A research synthesis on labour markets, working conditions, and policy in global supply chains.
Advancing EU-Africa Digital Partnerships Amid Growing Geopolitical Competition
Tevin Tafese · 2025 · German Institute for Global and Area Studies.
Digital Africa: How Big Tech and African Startups Are Reshaping the Continent
Tevin Tafese · 2022 · GIGA Focus Africa, 6/2022.
Deutsche Investitionen und Beschäftigung in Afrika – Welche Rolle können öffentliche Fördermaßnahmen spielen?
T. Lakemann, Jann Lay, R. Schnars & Tevin Tafese · 2022 · German Institute for Global and Area Studies.
Entwicklungszusammenarbeit mit Afrika: mehr Kohärenz wagen
Christian von Soest, Jann Lay & Tevin Tafese · 2021 · GIGA Focus Africa, 5/2021.
Africa after the Covid-19 Lockdowns: Economic Impacts and Prospects
T. Lakemann, Jann Lay & Tevin Tafese · 2020 · GIGA Focus Africa, 6/2020.
Promoting Private Investment to Create Jobs: A Review of the Evidence
Jann Lay & Tevin Tafese · 2020 · PEGNet Policy Studies.
Working papers and research studies
The Impact of Industrial Parks on Local Labor Markets: Evidence from Ethiopia
Tevin Tafese & Alisha Weber · July 2026 · Africa Urban Lab Working Paper 1004.
Satellite imagery and labour-force data document geographically concentrated shifts out of agriculture, especially into construction, with a smaller increase in textile and apparel employment.
Platform Work as an Opportunity for Aspiring IT-workers? Evidence from Four Sub-Saharan African Countries
Jann Lay & Tevin Tafese · 2023 · Research study.
Formalization and Productivity: Firm-level Evidence from Viet Nam
Jann Lay & Tevin Tafese · 2020 · WIDER Working Paper 2020/164.
Research data
Public datasets accompanying the research.
- Vietnam Special Economic Zones Satellite Imagery Dataset
- Greenfield FDI Projects in Africa, 2013–2020