What Obama will see in Africa this week

27 June 2013 06:50 pm - 1 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A A A

In June 1994, Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black President, spoke at a summit meeting of the Organisation of African States: “We must face squarely that there is something wrong in how we govern ourselves. It must be said that the fault is not in our stars but in ourselves.” At last Africa seems to have taken his words of wisdom to heart.

This week President Barack Obama will be in Africa to see for himself how most of Africa over the nine years since that speech, has taken the high road.
One by one throughout the 1990s governing elites began to come to their senses. Twenty-five States established multi-party democracies.

Approximately two-thirds of the people of Africa own a mobile phone. In many African countries phone technology is ahead of Europe and North America. Money can be transferred from the city to an upcountry village. Bills can be paid. In Ghana farmers can receive text messages reporting the price of yams and corn two towns away and thus find the best market without a middleman.

In Kenya residents of small villages can receive texts to say when the perambulating doctor will next be coming. In parts of West Africa nurses are storing patients’ data on phones.

It may be more difficult to build up fast internet penetration on PCs but in some countries 40% of mobile owners are using phones for email and the internet.
Black Africa has come late to the party but a majority of its 48 countries is charging ahead. One advantage of being late is that one can leapfrog over old concepts and tools and get today’s version at cheaper prices than the old. This is true for everything from state-of-the-art well digging equipment to new seeds and mineral mapping.
Welcome to the new Africa! Lions roar and poverty drops! All over infant mortality rates are falling, literacy is improving, longevity is rising and infectious diseases including AIDs are falling steadily, as is malaria.

A number of African countries have oil and valuable minerals sold at good prices. But East Africa, which is the fastest growing region of sub-Saharan Africa, had little of these- at least until very recently, when there have been significant oil and gas finds. And even landlocked resource-poor Mali is doing well.

Paced by the Chinese and Indians, Western firms are now getting in on the act. Some countries are floating bonds on Western exchanges. African stock markets are flourishing and home grown banks are pushing out their tentacles to small towns whilst making good profits. Micro-lending is on the up, pulling distant villagers into the modern economy.

For the first time a middle class is emerging in significant numbers. Consumer products are in high demand. Motorbikes fill the roads. Good private schools, universities and hospitals are in high demand. The upper middle classes send their children to school and university in Europe and North America. Increasingly these graduates and some of the rest of the Diaspora are returning to their land of opportunities.

Debt is down – partly thanks to write-offs by Western countries which were prodded into action by Western NGOs. Inflation is falling. Corruption is being tackled even though it is very much an uphill fight. Countries are finding new non-traditional items that they can export- flowers from Kenya and Zimbabwe and out of season vegetables from a number of countries. Intra-African trade has gone up from 6% to 13% of all trade.

High commodity prices for everything from palm oil to cocoa to soya beans have given most countries a boost, yet commodities provide a smaller proportion of exports than they did a decade ago. Only about one-third of Africa’s recent growth is due to commodity exports. A decade ago trade with Brazil, India and China made up only 1% of total trade. Now it is 20%.

When the world economic crisis of 2008 hit Africa, sub-Saharan Africa weathered it. Commodity prices fell but the structure of the reformed African economies was strong enough to resist the pressure. Banks had been self-disciplined and are not over exposed to the ailments of Western ones.

Growth rates (GDP) are today very encouraging. Last year, according to the International Monetary Fund, the average growth rate for sub-Saharan Africa was a handsome 5.4%.

These are the top-performing ones: Niger is 14%, Angola 9.7%, Mozambique 9%, Sierra Leone 9%, Liberia 9%, Ghana 8.8%, Zambia 7.7%, Nigeria 7.1%, Congo 6.5%, Tanzania 6.4%, Gabon 5.6%, Lesotho 5.2%, Kenya 5.2% and Gambia 5%. Unfortunately, mismanaged South Africa, the continent’s largest economy, is a lowly 2.7%.
Nigeria will soon overtake it. Six of the top ten fastest growing countries in the world are African.

Ten years ago The Economist labelled Africa as “The hopeless continent”. Much has changed. But don’t go out in the bush unaccompanied! The lions are roaring!

Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

Comments - 1

dickie bird Friday, 28 June 2013 09:16 AM

Obama will see that Mahinda has visited Tazania before him. he..he..he..............and mucking around in Seyschelles

Add comment
Comments will be edited (grammar, spelling and slang) and authorized at the discretion of Daily Mirror online. The website also has the right not to publish selected comments.

What Obama will see in Africa this week

Comments - 1

Add comment

RECOMMENDED

UDA owned land in Thalawathugoda; UDA Minister Prasanna Ranatunga under the spotlight for forceful occupation of reserved land

Loss-making SMIB faces political pressure in recovering loans

Baltimore Bridge Collapse: MV Dali, SL authorities anchored in mystery?

Has Sri Lanka become a potential hub for the illegal wildlife trade?

Spotlight on Moragahakanda Development Project Moragolla villagers lose livelihoods and down to one meal a day

Ambitious Sri Lankan jobseekers ‘trafficked into Ukraine war zones’

Western purple-faced langurs see blue!

Most Viewed in News

April 15 declared a government holiday

Former MP Palitha Thewarapperuma dies from electrocution

Sri Lankan among NASA’s new crew for next simulated Mars journey

A US “Kaputa”, a Lankan “Nariya” and a Presidential “Feast”

Street food vendor arrested for verbally harassing foreigner

Belgian traveller scammed in Kalutara

MIRROR CRICKET

Chamari Athapaththu sets big goal for T20 World Cup

How does CSK get best out of Pathirana?

Mendis, Mathews move up in ICC Test Rankings

Chamodi, Dewmi spins Sri Lanka U19 Women to big win

TODAY'S HEADLINES

Debt Restructuring Talks: Bondholders Fear Regime Change Impact

Don’t be deceived by NPP and Cardinal Ranjith: UNP

Emirates halts check-in for connections, UL cancels flights to Dubai

Plans afoot to obtain “Blue Flag Beaches” certification for SL beaches

Hardik fined Rs 12 lakh for violating IPL code of conduct after win over Punjab Kings

Chamari Athapaththu sets big goal for T20 World Cup

How does CSK get best out of Pathirana?

Mendis, Mathews move up in ICC Test Rankings