The Impact of Executive Education in Sub-Saharan Africa

The report assesses executive education in the Sub-Saharan African financial sector, finding that while it generally improves employee skills and organisational prestige, there is a significant gap between theoretical teaching and practical application. It recommends a shift toward 'action-learning' and the establishment of specialised regional training hubs.

• Executive education (ExEd) is perceived as having a positive aggregate impact on financial services firms, primarily by enhancing employee skills in risk assessment, management, and accounting, which in turn improves customer satisfaction.
• There is a critical discrepancy between the theoretical nature of current ExEd offerings and the practical needs of the financial sector; stakeholders strongly advocate for more practical, 'action-learning' approaches.
• ExEd graduates contribute to the perceived prestige and public image of their organisations, which helps attract clients and investors.
• A perception gap exists between managers and employees regarding the impact of ExEd on compensation and career mobility, with employees often feeling their pay is not commensurate with their training, especially when self-funded.
• Financial institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa tend to hire candidates who already possess executive education rather than sponsoring the training of existing employees.
• ExEd is primarily provided by universities, with very few private training institutions offering such programmes in the region.
• Gender differences in the perception of ExEd's impact on pay and mobility were found to be significant in Cameroon and Uganda, though they moved in opposite directions between the two countries.
• The report recommends that FSD Africa support the creation of a specialised research and training institute to serve as a knowledge hub for the financial services sector in Sub-Saharan Africa.

APA

FSD Africa (2017). The Impact of Executive Education in Sub-Saharan Africa. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Impact-of-ExEd-in-SSA-for-web-14.06.2017.pdf

Chicago

FSD Africa. The Impact of Executive Education in Sub-Saharan Africa. 2017. https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Impact-of-ExEd-in-SSA-for-web-14.06.2017.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=FSD Africa |title=The Impact of Executive Education in Sub-Saharan Africa |date=June 2017 |url=https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Impact-of-ExEd-in-SSA-for-web-14.06.2017.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fsdafrica2017impact, author = {{FSD Africa}}, title = {{The Impact of Executive Education in Sub-Saharan Africa}}, institution = {FSD Africa}, year = {2017}, month = jun, url = {https://fsdafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Impact-of-ExEd-in-SSA-for-web-14.06.2017.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }