This paper is a contribution to a project directed by the author on the 'Nature, significance and determinants of the flexibility of national economies'.

The paper concludes that whilst it is dangerous to offer continent-wide generalisations (and sub-Saharan Africa by no means offers a uniformly adverse situation), the evidence marshalled here indicates:

• a generally low degree of economic flexibility;
• a slow pace of modernising structural change;
• a rather adverse record with 'structural adjustment';
• a poor revealed ability to take advantage of trading opportunities;
• a similarly laggard response to technological advances;
• low supply elasticity in agriculture.

The paper also demonstrates that these factors interact with each other, so that in combination they have a powerful sclerotic effect.