Are there ANY successful economies / societies in Africa?

Question

I have often watched the news and wondered if there is more I can do, but, so many years after BandAid, USA for Africa etc, the situation seems to be just as bad, if not worse. Constant civil wars, corruption, failed economies etc.

Can someone please enlighten me on the situation? I understand that the Europeans left a bad legacy as the Africans were decolonized, with little regard for tribal / ethnic notions of land / borders. However, is this a liitle too simplistic? I compare so many successful nations in Asia (think Singapore, India, Hong Kong etc) that were also former European colonies, yet they do not seem to be the economic basket cases we see in Africa (and yes, I realise that ALL nations have some problems, even the Asian ones I mentioned, but none seem to have the ongoing issues with poverty, disease and war that African nations have).

Please do not think this is a swipe at hardworking Africans, just trying to understand the root of problems and solutions.

Answer 1

You do have a point, but first..

South Africa is quite successful economy. The first heart transplant was done by a South African, in South Africa. South Africa was also the first country to develop oil from coal, one of the first to have electric street lights, is the world leader in commercial explosives, deep level mining, and were first to perform complete water purification from sureage. People in South Africa has quite an impressive standard of living too. This is however intersperced by pockets of extreme poverty.

As I said, you do have a point. The bad legacy and colonial excuse is getting a bit long in the tooth. Political leaders in Africa who "fight for the poor" are themselves living in untold luxury, even by first world standards. The most extensively colonised countries in Africa (South Africa, Namibia and Mauritius) are performing the best, economically, while some of the barely touched countries (Lesotho, Central African Republic, Angola) are performing very, very bad. Lesotho and Botswana actually became a colony at their own request, to get the British as an ally in wars.

Currently the world sympathy is with Africa, but calls for debt write off etc are siding with the political leaders, not the people of Africa. Mozambique is currently a "donor" favourate, because of a period of good economic growth recently. The outgoing president actually got a prestigious award in London. However, anybody that's ever travelled in Mozambique on car knows that every 30km's you are stopped by traffic cops who will find fault with your vehicle, and who will then extort a bribe. Surely a statesman worthy of an award should not tolerate that! The award is a slap in the face of Mozambicans, many of whom will never experience the simple concept of buying commodities (Soap, cooking oil) from a store.

Zimbabwe is also throwing away decades of infrastructure development, and doing things that really helps nobody but the current regime.

Western philantropists are not helping Africa by repeating the colonial rethoric. That is what the corrupt leaders want, to just fill up their own overflowing baskets and Swiss bank accounts. What Africa needs is consistency in trade, and help to establish real democracies. Nelson Mandela is still hailed is the hero of heroes, despite the fact that during his tenure South Africa moved from outside the crime radar into the world's number one crime hotspot. South Africa would have solved most of it's problems in the last 10 years if it just had the world average crime rate. That's what I mean consistency. Consistency does not mean "we make this guy a hero, because Africa needs one". Consistency means recognising "if it is unacceptable in Europe and the US that the government gags critical media, and politicians strip state enterprises, then it must be unacceptable in Africa too". Also, particularly, if it is unacceptable in Europe to create laws that discrimminate against racial and cultural minorities, it must be unacceptable in Africa too, whatever reasons are given. Even "progressive" countries like South Africa and Namibia are allowed to institute laws favouring the "previously disadvantaged", which in reality is only a way for politicians to further enrich themselves from the proceeds of hard working minorities. Not to mention the devastating effect on foreign investment.

If France or Germany or England institute any racial laws, would not all their neighbours break all ties with them, and rightly so call them fascists?

I my parents, my grandparents and their grandparents and their grandparents were born in Africa. Further, I'm not particularly wealthy, and my whole family have allways fought against colonialism, and for the African cause. But because I do not look African, all kinds of laws (appluaded by the international philantropist community) makes it very difficult to do business in my own country. IT is nonsense like that that is keeping Africa down. IF that is not confronted, cancelling all debt will still not make a difference.

Answer 2

Africa is so overpopulated that it will take a monumental effort from the world to straighten out their problems. The medical problems alone is mind boggling not to mention the poverty. How could you ever come up with enough jobs to supply the demand there.