A CLEAR signal of the change taking place in Africa is the appeal by ailing Portugal to its former colony, Angola, for investment. While Portugal’s economy is con tracting, Angola is looking at growth rates of double digits next year on a booming oil economy. According to news articles, Angolan President Eduardo dos Santos has graciously said the country is ready to assist its former ruler. Continue reading Hype about Africa as next big thing ignores harsh realities

THE issue of the fuel subsidy in Nigeria exemplifies everything that is wrong with this giant economy operating well below its potential. It reflects years of neglect of state refineries; it underlines the irony of being Africa’s biggest oil producer but also a major importer of refined fuel; it highlights the undermining of the economy by cartels; and it shows the lip service paid by the state to development. Continue reading Nigeria’s history catches up with president over fuel subsidy

WHEN the topic of youth leadership comes up in SA, what comes to mind are the antics of Julius Malema and his cohorts in the African National Congress Youth League. The subject has many people throwing their hands up in despair, not only at the reports of bad behaviour and self-serving tactics, but also at the lost opportunity. The youth should be changing things for the better, not reverting to the discredited and failed policies of the past. Continue reading Young leaders’ vision for a brave new Africa faces old problem

I WAS afforded a glimpse into the world of climate change last week at the 2011 African Economic Conference in Addis Ababa and observed how the debate has taken on almost religious proportions. Continue reading Will the green-economy train take Africa to the right destination?

IN AFRICA, where doing business often involves traversing a minefield of politics, concluding a deal around election time is not a good idea. Poor institutional structures mean there is undue emphasis on personal relationships. A change of a minister or even a top bureaucrat can mark the end of a carefully constructed business deal, contract or investment. Continue reading Africa’s business terrain a minefield of political agendas

EQUATORIAL Guinea is associated with many things — arbitrary detention, torture and killing of citizens, fraudulent elections and corruption. One thing it is not certainly associated with is a quest to improve the quality of human life. This makes the establishment of the Obiang Nguema Mbasogo International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences an oddity that hardly seems worth mentioning. Continue reading Africa scores new own goal in support for despot’s vanity project