Africa’s Next Trillion-Dollar Empire Is Already Rising – And It’s Not Where You Might Expect
While the world races to invest in AI-driven agriculture, the real story unfolding across Africa is far more grounded – and far more powerful. When I was a child, we chased butterflies through fields of maize and beans. Our parents tilled the soil with hoes, cut trees with machetes, and lived by the seasons. Life […]
Social Capital: Africa’s Untapped Engine for Sustainable Development
Africa, a continent rich in cultural diversity and deeply rooted in communal values, holds a powerful yet underutilized asset that could transform the trajectory of its development: social capital. While traditional financing mechanisms – such as foreign aid, foreign direct investment, tax revenues, and capital markets – have long dominated the development finance landscape, an […]
How to reconcile Africa’s long-term economic development with its short-term development objectives?
On December 18 2023, the Financial Times published an article that had an international resonance, which argued that Africa cannot grow without increasing productivity of labor. The article noted that in contrast to the average East Asian worker, an African worker is about three times less productive, which poses a challenge for the industrial development of the continent. Increased […]
Expecting a Color-Blind Society Is a Dangerous Fantasy
Throughout history, people with strong beliefs have often taken their beliefs too far, provoking an opposite reaction from those who believe otherwise. Such appears to be the case with the Trump administration drive to end Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). The stated goal is to end the cycle of blame when ostensibly trying to correct […]
The US International Tariff Regime and Africa
During the last decade, the international economic order has been in significant turmoil – from the immediate and ancillary impacts of the Russia-Ukraine conflict to the growing scope and economic might of the Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) coalition to the global de-dollarization campaign. Now the decision by US President Donald Trump to […]
Inflation Plagues African Nations in 2024
In 2024, several African economies experienced some of the highest inflation rates on the continent, with prices for goods and services escalating dramatically. This sharp rise in inflation contributed to an uptick in social unrest, as widespread protests and demonstrations were observed across various nations. Positive Inflation Outlook for 2025 However, inflation projections for 2025 […]
Kenya Poised to Lead Global Internet Advertising Growth, PWC Report Finds
A report released on January 28, 2025, by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) forecasts that Kenya will become the world’s fastest-growing internet advertising market in the coming years. The report projects that, over the next four years, revenue from Africa’s Entertainment and Media (E&M) industry will outpace the global average, driven by expanding internet access, improved broadband connectivity […]
What to Expect from Africa-China Relations in 2025
Africa-China relations in 2025 kicked off with a trip to the continent by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi from January 5-11. Since 1991, China’s foreign minister has made Africa his inaugural international trip for the year. Notable given China’s dominant party system, Wang’s official title and authority is Director of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) […]