Beyond Bloodlines: A Review of Succession Planning and Generational Continuity in African Family Businesses

Abstract

This study presents a systematic review of 107 peer-reviewed articles on succession planning in African family businesses, offering a conceptual reframing of succession as an institutionally embedded process rather than a discrete managerial task. Moving beyond proceduralist and Eurocentric paradigms, the review integrates institutional theory, socioemotional wealth, and dynamic capabilities to interrogate how cultural norms, economic constraints, and social expectations interact to shape succession outcomes. Findings reveal a dominance of informal, kinship-based succession practices that, while culturally coherent, often compromise gender inclusion, strategic renewal, and organizational resilience. This study introduces a Context–Mechanism–Outcome (CMO) framework that synthesizes how succession success is mediated by the alignment between contextual forces and formal/informal planning mechanisms. Underrepresented subregions (e.g., Francophone and matrilineal societies) and overlooked themes (e.g., digital succession, gendered agency, and advisory ecosystems) are identified as critical frontiers for future research. The review concludes by proposing a theoretically generative agenda built on five propositions that reconceptualize succession planning through the lenses of institutional hybridity, temporal processuality, and intersectional legitimacy. This work provides a foundational synthesis for scholars and a diagnostic roadmap for practitioners seeking to structure inclusive, culturally attuned, and future-ready succession strategies in Africa.