The double movement in Africa: a Nkrumah-Polanyi analysis of free market fatigue in Ghana’s private sector

Karl Polanyi’s double movement is a key tool for conceptualising free market fatigue in African business communities wrought by the insecurities of trade liberalisation. Synthesising Polanyi with Kwame Nkrumah’s work on neo-colonialism, article argues that exhausted Africa can contest reforms and push return to developmentalist strategies, underscoring movement. In this discussion it highlights Ghana, ‘donor darling’ terms historical implementation reform. It builds upon author’s engagement 66 interviewees – people policy stakeholders relation condition country’s poultry tomato industries. Unpacking interviewee narratives, points striking common theme, namely call re-embedding economy via strategies move beyond neo-colonial systems. vein, provides an original contribution studies International Political Economy demonstrating efficacy Nkrumah-Polanyi ensemble making sense communities’ potential role countermovements developmentalism Africa.