Browsing: Is the African continent rising

• Africa Rising narrative paints a picture of a continent on the cusp of a major economic and developmental breakthrough.
• This upbeat assessment, however, stands in stark contrast to the realities of many African countries’ political instability, corruption, and threats from autocratic regimes.
• This disharmony between the narrative’s upbeat tone and the facts prompts the question: is there a need for the widespread optimism about Africa’s future, or is it misplaced?

The “Africa Rising” narrative, popularised in recent years, paints a picture of a continent on the cusp of a major economic and developmental breakthrough. This upbeat assessment, however, stands in stark contrast to the realities of many African countries’ political instability, ongoing corruption, and threats from autocratic regimes. The premature or even misplaced optimism of this narrative is called into question by a close analysis of these problems. This discrepancy between the narrative’s upbeat tone and the facts prompts the …