The African Journal of Business and Innovation (AJBI) provides a platform for scholarship on business, entrepreneurship and innovation in Africa. It welcomes research that advances understanding of African business environments and contributes to management practice, enterprise development and economic transformation.

The journal encourages contributions from business, economics, development studies, public policy and related interdisciplinary fields. Its scope encompasses entrepreneurship and small-business development; corporate strategy; investment and intra-African trade; digital transformation and financial technology; sustainable business models; supply chains; corporate social responsibility; public–private partnerships; business ethics; family enterprises; women and youth entrepreneurship; and climate-responsive business strategies. 

AJBI welcomes original research articles, review articles, case studies and policy analyses. Submissions should demonstrate a clear contribution to knowledge and explain their relevance to African business contexts, including regional comparisons and global connections where appropriate.

Preparing Your Manuscript

Title and Subtitle

Provide a clear, concise and descriptive title that accurately reflects the manuscript’s content. Include relevant key terms to support discoverability. A subtitle may be used where it adds useful context.

Authors and Their Affiliations

Prepare a separate title page containing:

• The manuscript title.
• Each author’s full name and institutional affiliation.
• Each author’s ORCID iD, where available.
• The corresponding author’s name and email address.

Identify one corresponding author to manage communication throughout submission, review and publication.

For double-blind review, remove authors’ names, affiliations, acknowledgements and other identifying information from the main manuscript, including document properties. Provide identifying declarations separately for editorial use.

Abstract

Include an abstract of 150–200 words, formatted with 1.5 line spacing.

The abstract should summarise the study’s purpose, approach, principal findings and contribution. For empirical studies, briefly describe the methodology. For conceptual and review articles, explain the analytical approach and main argument.

Avoid references and unexplained abbreviations in the abstract.

Keywords

Provide 4–6 keywords immediately below the abstract. Select specific terms that reflect the manuscript’s central concepts, research context and subject area.

Main Text

Manuscripts should contain 6,000–8,000 words, inclusive of references, tables and figures.

Use:

• Times New Roman, 12-point font.
• 1.5 line spacing, except where otherwise specified.
• Consecutive page numbering.
• Consistent British English spelling and usage.

The manuscript should present a coherent argument, supported by appropriate evidence and relevant literature. Authors should explain the contribution to business and innovation scholarship and, where applicable, the implications for entrepreneurs, managers, policymakers or other stakeholders.

Suggested Manuscript Structure

Empirical research articles should normally include:

1. Introduction and research problem.
2. Literature review and theoretical or conceptual framework.
3. Research methodology.
4. Results or findings.
5. Discussion.
6. Conclusion, implications, limitations and recommendations.
7. Declarations and references.

Conceptual articles, reviews, case studies and policy analyses may use a different structure appropriate to their purpose and approach.

Headings and Subheadings

Use a clear heading hierarchy:

• Level 1: Justified, bold, 14-point font.
• Level 2: Justified, bold, 12-point font.
• Level 3: Left-aligned, italicised, 12-point font.

Use title case for all headings and apply formatting consistently.

Originality and Publication Ethics

Prior Publication and Simultaneous Submission

Manuscripts must be original, must not have been published previously and must not be under consideration by another journal.

All authors must approve the final manuscript and consent to its submission. AJBI’s current submission requirements also emphasise accurate references, permissions for third-party materials and appropriate research ethics approval where applicable. 

Plagiarism and Attribution

Authors must appropriately acknowledge all sources and distinguish their own contributions from previously published work.

Submissions may be screened using similarity-detection software, such as Turnitin. Authors should review the journal’s plagiarism policy before submission. A similarity score alone does not establish whether plagiarism has occurred; the nature and attribution of overlapping material must also be considered.

Research Ethics

Where research involves human participants or other activities requiring ethical review, state the approving institution and approval reference, where applicable. Explain relevant consent procedures and measures used to protect participants’ confidentiality.

Conflicts of Interest

Declare any financial, professional or personal interests that could reasonably influence the research or its interpretation. Where no conflicts exist, include a statement confirming this.

Funding

Provide a separate section titled Funding, placed before the acknowledgements.

Identify the funding organisation and grant or award number, where applicable. Explain the funder’s role in the research, if any. If no external funding was received, state this clearly.

Artwork Guidelines

Images, graphs, diagrams and other illustrations should be clear, legible and directly relevant to the manuscript.

Embed artwork near its first discussion in the text. Ensure that labels, symbols and text remain readable at the intended publication size. Authors must obtain permission for copyrighted material and provide appropriate attribution.

Tables

Create tables using the word processor’s table function. Do not submit tables as screenshots or images.

• Placement: Position each table close to its first mention.
• Numbering: Number tables consecutively, for example, Table 1 and Table 2.
• Title: Place a concise, descriptive title above each table, aligned left.
• Notes: Place explanations of abbreviations, statistical symbols and sources below the table.
• In-text references: Refer to each table by number, for example, “Table 1 summarises the characteristics of the participating enterprises.”
• Presentation: Ensure tables fit within the manuscript margins and use consistent formatting.

Avoid unnecessary duplication between tables and the main text.

Figures

Embed figures near the paragraph in which they are first discussed.

• Number figures consecutively in their order of appearance.
• Place a descriptive caption directly below each figure.
• Explain abbreviations, symbols and sources where necessary.
• Refer to each figure by number in the text.
• Use clear labels and sufficient image quality for publication.

Authors may be asked to provide separate high-resolution or editable figure files during production.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledge individuals or organisations that contributed to the work but do not qualify for authorship.

For double-blind review, provide acknowledgements separately from the anonymised manuscript. They may be restored following acceptance.

References

Use APA 7th edition for in-text citations and the reference list.

• List references alphabetically by the first author’s surname.
• Double-space the reference list and use hanging indents.
• Ensure every in-text citation has a corresponding reference entry and vice versa.
• Check authors’ names, publication dates, titles and publication details.
• Include DOIs in URL format where available.
• Provide page numbers for direct quotations.

Author Submission Checklist

Before submitting, confirm that:

• The manuscript falls within AJBI’s aims and scope.
• The work is original and is not under consideration elsewhere.
• All authors meet authorship requirements and approve the submission.
• A separate title page contains author and corresponding-author details.
• The main manuscript is anonymised for double-blind review.
• The abstract contains 150–200 words.
• Four to six relevant keywords are included.
• The manuscript meets the word-count and formatting requirements.
• The argument, methods and contribution are clearly explained.
• Tables and figures are numbered, labelled and cited correctly.
• References are accurate, complete and formatted in APA 7th edition.
• Ethical approval, consent, funding and conflict-of-interest statements are provided where applicable.
• Necessary permissions have been obtained for third-party material.
• Spelling and grammar have been checked.
• All required supplementary files are included.

Submitting Your Manuscript

Submit manuscripts electronically in Microsoft Word format through the journal Platform.

Authors must log in or register before making a submission. Complete the requested submission information and ensure that the author details entered in the system match those on the title page.

Upload the anonymised manuscript, separate title page and any required supplementary materials. The corresponding author should monitor the submission account for editorial correspondence and requests for revisions.

Submission confirms that all authors have approved the manuscript and agree to its consideration by AJBI.

Editorial Assessment and Peer Review

Submissions undergo an initial editorial assessment to determine their suitability for the journal’s scope and minimum quality standards. Suitable manuscripts proceed to peer review, after which an editorial decision is made. Manuscripts that do not meet these requirements may be declined without external review.

Indicative Time Frames

The following proposed targets are subject to editorial confirmation: