In this study, we present a review of public agents’ job satisfaction in Africa between
1990 and 2014. Using the systematic review methodology, we analyse and put in perspective
22 English and French publications on this subject. Results suggest that work
environment attributes are the most important antecedents of job satisfaction among
African public servants, whereas the effects of personal and work characteristics are
marginal.We also found that most of the research dedicated to job satisfaction in Africa
relied primarily on theoretical frameworks developed in Western countries. This leads
to unexpected results, indicating the need to fit the research models to local specificities.
The consequences of job satisfaction in Africa and suggestions for future research
are also discussed.