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African Business & Economic Resources

Industry Resources

Frank G. Carpenter, collector. Premier Diamond Mine (in South Africa). between 1890-1923. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.

Major industries in Africa include energy (oil and gas), agriculture, mining, telecommunications, and finance/banking. Library of Congress industry guides are linked below. While many resources on those guides focus on the United States, there is also global and other regional information included. It may also be useful to conduct research into individual companies within the industry. The Doing Company Research guide has a page on researching non-U.S. companies.

Industries in Africa vary by region, so you may also want to consult the Country and Regional Resources page of this guide.

When researching financing and banking, it should be noted that many African nations have a central bank. Central bank websites can provide useful information on an individual country's finance and economy. Links to regional banks and capital markets can be found on the Country and Regional Resources page of this guide.

Library of Congress Research Guides

Doing Industry Research: A Resource Guide - This guide is designed as a starting point for those looking for current information on industries.

This guide is designed as a starting point for those looking for current information on industries. In addition, some historical sources are also included.

Oil and Gas Industry: A Research Guide - This guide covers the business of oil and gas for researchers interested in the history, production, marketing and distribution, statistical sources, company research, etc.

This guide covers the business of oil and gas for researchers interested in the history, regulations, production, transportation and storage, marketing and distribution, statistical sources, and company research.

Telecommunications Industry: A Research Guide - This guide provides business research information on resources related to wired, wireless, and satellite telecommunications industries.

This guide provides business research information on resources related to wired, wireless, and satellite telecommunications industries, including radio and television broadcasting, and cable and internet service providers.

Commodities: A Resource Guide - Guide to locating information about commodities and commodities trade.

Guide to locating information about commodities and commodities trade.

Doing Company Research: A Resource Guide - This guide provides ideas and strategies for researching companies, with a focus on more common sources that may be of use for those looking for information on active companies.

This guide provides ideas and strategies for researching companies, with a focus on more common sources that may be of use for those looking for information on companies that are active and for those looking for current information.

Selected Print Resources

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

Online Resources

This list includes free online databases as well as subscription-based ones for searching for African industry and company information. You can find links to online business directories on the Doing Business in Africa page of this guide.

The subscription resources marked with a padlock are available to researchers on-site at the Library of Congress. If you are unable to visit the Library, you may be able to access these resources through your local public or academic library.

E-books are available digitally at the the Library of Congress either through our in-house repository STACKS or through subscription databases such as Taylor & Francis eBooksSpringer-Link and others. Free open source e-books may also be available.

These are freely available online resources for African industry and finance information. Some are industry specific, while some offer information by country.