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Kenneth Kaunda International Airport: the political economy of Chinese infrastructure investment in Zambia
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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| Format: | Thesis |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613986277556224 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Murray, Jodie |
| author2 | Van der Westhuizen, Janis |
| author_browse | Murray, Jodie Van der Westhuizen, Janis |
| author_facet | Van der Westhuizen, Janis Murray, Jodie |
| author_sort | Murray, Jodie |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134728 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:51.414Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134728 Kenneth Kaunda International Airport: the political economy of Chinese infrastructure investment in Zambia Murray, Jodie Van der Westhuizen, Janis Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Political Science. Zambia -- Economic conditions -- Chinese investments Airports -- Economic aspects -- Zambia -- Lusaka Infrastructure (Economics) -- Zambia -- Chinese influences China -- Foreign economic relations -- Zambia Zambia -- Economic policy -- Foreign investment UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Murray, J. 2025. Kenneth Kaunda International Airport: The Political Economy of Chinese Infrastructure Investment in Zambia. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/a38da935-f653-4b8e-8b2f-97bee45823d6 ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The impact that large-scale infrastructure projects have on the development of a country is an important topic in the world of political economics. In particular, it is crucial to examine the beneficial aspects of these projects in developing countries. Studies have shown that there is a clear link between the economic performance of a country and its infrastructural development; however, that is not to say that all large-scale infrastructure projects end up benefiting the country. This thesis implemented a case study analysis based on the renovations at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA), which is in Zambia’s capital city of Lusaka. The question this thesis set out to answer was: “How did the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, as a large-scale infrastructure project, benefit and/or disadvantage Zambia’s economy and its various stakeholders?” Due to the economic state of many African countries, it is not uncommon for external loans to be used to fund infrastructure projects. These include loans from Western nations and institutions, as well as various forms of Chinese funding. Due to the use of Chinese funding for the KKIA renovations and the Belt and Road Initiative implemented by China, this thesis was particularly interested in Chinese loans and how Chinese funding can affect these projects. An overarching argument of this thesis is that the KKIA renovations had the potential to benefit Zambia economically, which was supposedly their intended purpose. However, issues relating to the management of the project, the use of funding, and corruption resulted in the renovations disadvantaging Zambia economically. Through qualitative research and analyses of financial figures (largely gathered from the Zambia Airports Corporation Limited annual reports), it was determined that instead of the KKIA renovations boosting Zambia’s economy, they became a project where the costs outweighed the benefits. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar nie. Masters 2026-01-05T12:53:36Z 2026-01-05T12:53:36Z 2025-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134728 Stellenbosch University 158 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Zambia -- Economic conditions -- Chinese investments Airports -- Economic aspects -- Zambia -- Lusaka Infrastructure (Economics) -- Zambia -- Chinese influences China -- Foreign economic relations -- Zambia Zambia -- Economic policy -- Foreign investment UCTD Murray, Jodie Kenneth Kaunda International Airport: the political economy of Chinese infrastructure investment in Zambia |
| title | Kenneth Kaunda International Airport: the political economy of Chinese infrastructure investment in Zambia |
| title_full | Kenneth Kaunda International Airport: the political economy of Chinese infrastructure investment in Zambia |
| title_fullStr | Kenneth Kaunda International Airport: the political economy of Chinese infrastructure investment in Zambia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Kenneth Kaunda International Airport: the political economy of Chinese infrastructure investment in Zambia |
| title_short | Kenneth Kaunda International Airport: the political economy of Chinese infrastructure investment in Zambia |
| title_sort | kenneth kaunda international airport the political economy of chinese infrastructure investment in zambia |
| topic | Zambia -- Economic conditions -- Chinese investments Airports -- Economic aspects -- Zambia -- Lusaka Infrastructure (Economics) -- Zambia -- Chinese influences China -- Foreign economic relations -- Zambia Zambia -- Economic policy -- Foreign investment UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134728 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT murrayjodie kennethkaundainternationalairportthepoliticaleconomyofchineseinfrastructureinvestmentinzambia |