How Africa Works
Success and Failure on the World's Last Developmental Frontier
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- 11,99 €
Publisher Description
'One of the most original and important books on Africa in years' FINANCIAL TIMES
The birth of new nations, independent democracies, the unprecedented growth of cities from Lagos to Cairo; the African continent is booming. So why do myths about underdevelopment, unproductive land and overpopulation remain?
In a groundbreaking new study of Africa's developmental history, economist Joe Studwell debunks long-held views about the continent's presumed resistance to growth, charting monumental changes in government, demography and asset management.
Considering everything from settler colonialism to soil conditions, mineral extractivism to disease development and eradication, Studwell persuasively argues that the seizing back of land, people and states across Africa, has also been the seizure of mass economic development.
From slavery to independence and beyond, this is the definitive account of the world's second largest continent - and an optimistic look to its future.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Africa can achieve sustainable economic growth if governments there boost agriculture and manufacturing while avoiding political upheavals and war, according to this sweeping analysis. Journalist Studwell (How Asia Works) ascribes Africa's poverty to chronic underpopulation and European colonial rule. Thanks to booming, better-educated populations, however, African economies are now poised to take off, he argues, provided governments follow the development playbook of Asian countries like South Korea and China. The key measures, he contends, are supporting small-scale farming with land redistribution and credit for seeds and fertilizers; making targeted investments in export-oriented manufacturing that fosters industrial ecosystems; and building infrastructure. Studwell reports on the growing economies of such African countries as Mauritius, Botswana, and Ethiopia. Drawing on World Bank statistics and his own reportage on innovative farmers and dynamic manufacturing start-ups, Studwell paints richly detailed portraits of African economies and takes an optimistic stance on the continent's future, which isn't always convincing, given sub-Saharan Africa as a whole is economically stagnant (it was slightly poorer in 2024 than in 2014 on a per-capita GDP basis). Still, Studwell is worth reading for his fine-grained insights into African politics and economies.
