Ownership structure and audit fees: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

This study examines the factors affecting audit fees in firms listed primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa countries by focusing on the relationship between ownership structure and audit fees. The study uses an unbalanced panel dataset of 531 observations of non-financial firms collected from annual reports for the years 2005 to 2009. The findings show that audit fees vary with ownership structure. Particularly, the study shows managerial ownership and concentrated ownership are negatively related to audit fees, whereas foreign ownership is related positively to audit fees. This study provides valuable insights on effects of ownership structure on audit fees pricing. Specifically, the study emphasizes that decisions of pricing of audit fees should consider characteristics of the ownership structure of a firm. The study makes contributions to the literature that focuses on the nexus between corporate governance and audit fees. Particularly, the findings provide empirical evidence of impacts of ownership structure on audit fees in Sub-Saharan African context, which is characterized by less developed financial markets and a weak institutional environment relative to developed countries where most studies are conducted.