Call for Papers - Colloquium on Legal Perspectives on Combating Corruption in Business in Africa in the Era of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
Cape Town, South Africa
Abstract deadline: 3 June 2025
The Mercantile and Labour Law Department at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), in collaboration with the Mercantile Law Department at the University of the Free State (UFS), is pleased to announce a one-time Colloquium titled:
“Legal Perspectives on Combating Corruption in Business in Africa in the Era of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)”
This colloquium is part of the annual events of the African Society for Business Law and Economics. The event will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, and will be hosted in a hybrid format, allowing for both in-person and virtual participation.
Conference Theme
The colloquium will explore a range of critical legal and regulatory issues related to corruption in business, particularly in the context of the AfCFTA. The discussions will include, but are not limited to:1. Legal and Institutional Frameworks for Anti-Corruption
- National and regional anti-corruption laws in Africa.
- The African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC) and its effectiveness.
- The role of domestic legal frameworks in addressing corruption.
- Strengthening anti-corruption norms within AfCFTA.
- Integration of broader African Union (AU) frameworks with AfCFTA.
- Utilizing international frameworks such as the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).
- Corporate liability and criminalization of corporate conduct.
- Piercing the corporate veil to hold individuals accountable for corruption.
- The impact of corporate governance standards on anti-corruption efforts.
- Adoption of business ethics and ethical corporate cultures.
- Policies on gift-giving and receiving in business.
- Ubuntu and good faith as guiding principles in business integrity.
- Strengthening sanctions and penalties for corruption-related offenses.
- Establishing effective compliance frameworks for businesses.
- Conducting risk assessments to identify corruption-prone activities.
- Multi-stakeholder initiatives in combating corporate corruption.
- Mechanisms for promoting transparency and accountability in corporate operations.
- Strengthening whistle-blower protection frameworks.
- Addressing conflict of interest in corporate governance.
- Employee lifestyle audits and mechanisms for detecting illicit enrichment.
- Digitalization, Technology, and Automation in Anti-Corruption
- The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in preventing corruption.
- Leveraging blockchain for transparency in business transactions.
- Enhancing Know Your Customer (KYC) and beneficial ownership transparency.
- The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in preventing corruption.
- Leveraging blockchain for transparency in business transactions.
- Enhancing Know Your Customer (KYC) and beneficial ownership transparency.
- The role of AfCFTA in tackling customs fraud and illicit financial flows.
- Strengthening public procurement frameworks against corruption risks.
- Combating money laundering in business transactions.
- The link between collusion and corruption in regional trade.
- Collaboration between the private sector and civil society organizations in anti-corruption efforts.
- Enhancing inter-agency coordination for effective enforcement.
- Strengthening international cooperation in combating business corruption.
- Building capacity for legal, business, and enforcement professionals.
- The impact of poor remuneration and social security gaps on corruption.
- Ethical labour practices and their role in business integrity.
Submissions may also focus on other AfCFTA-related legal and regulatory issues. However, papers unrelated to corruption will not be considered for inclusion in the special issue. Authors are encouraged to submit such papers elsewhere.
Submission Guidelines & Conference Proceedings
Accepted papers will be considered for publication in the Journal of Anti-Corruption Law, a Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET)-accredited journal.- Each participant may submit up to two papers for the colloquium, but can submit only one for publication in the special issue.
- Submissions must be original and must not have been published or submitted elsewhere.
- The peer review process will be managed by an editorial team in collaboration with the journal. Due to the unpredictability of the review timeline, publication may extend beyond the anticipated period.
Registration & Fees
As the conference will be hybrid, participants must indicate whether they will attend in person or virtually by notifying the conference organizers via email at their earliest convenience.- Physical attendance: R3,000
- Virtual attendance: R1,000
Participants whose abstracts are accepted will receive banking details for payment of the registration fees.
Important Conference Dates
- Abstract submission deadline: 3 June 2025
- Abstract feedback notification: on a rolling basis
- Registration deadline: 6 June 2025
- Conference dates: 12-13 June 2025
- Full paper submission deadline: 30 June 2025
- Peer review process: July – October 2025
- Publication of special issue: December 2025
For further enquiries, please contact the Conference Organising Committee at afrisocconference@gmail.com.
We look forward to receiving your abstracts and welcoming you to this important conversation.
Sincerely
Dr. Tinashe Kondo
Senior Lecturer: Competition Law
University of the Western Cape
&
Mr. Simbarashe Tavuyanago
Lecturer: Competition & Labour Law
University of the Free State
Download Conference Document
