Why Africa Will Succeed

Aug 2007, Vol. 152, No. 4
By Nicky Oppenheimer

While it may be foolish to suggest that all fifty-three countries that make up the continent are on the road to success, the foundation has been laid for Africa to succeed rather than fail. In the Twenty-first century, things in Africa have changed and we are on a roll.

Last year continental economic growth was 5.8 per cent, the third year it has averaged more than 5 per cent. What a change from the dismal 1980s and 1990s when growth averaged little over 2 per cent. Looking at the top half of African countries the growth figure was closer to 7 per cent.

An exact corollary of the better economics has been the decline in conflict within Africa. Indeed the number of conflicts in Africa has declined by two-thirds from the bad late 1990s. Is this due to the more than $320 billion the developed world has pumped into Africa as aid since 1970?

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