Doing Business in Africa: A Second Term Priority
Africa policy in the first Obama Administration was the brightest missed opportunity of the four years. The Administration carried on the Bush Africa programs-PEPFAR and the Millennium Challenge Corporation but new, innovative approaches that drive development in Africa and enhance U.S. companies competitiveness were lacking.
Africa: underestimating GDP
GDP growth is thought to be correlated to everything from conflict risk to whiskey consumption. And the current slew of positive stories about Africa are driven, in part, by the impressive GDP statistics posted by countries across the continent.
But these numbers are poor estimations of economic development, says Morten Jerven at Simon Fraser University. His argument is not that GDP does not say much about happiness, equality, environmental sustainability. It's a more technical point: many figures are, well, just wrong. African GDP might actually be growing faster than we think.
West Africa: new airlines look to spread their wings
Start-up airlines have revolutionised air travel in Ghana over the past 18 months. Fares on domestic routes have fallen by up to 75 per cent. Passenger numbers on the main route from the capital Accra to the second city Kumasi have increased fivefold.
Africa: A premium trend
Branded consumer goods companies have an opportunity to participate in Africa's growth
The traditional picture which is often painted of Africa poverty, political turmoil and dire infrastructure is beginning to look outdated. Real signs are emerging of a continent which offers extraordinary growth potential and rapidly changing consumer dynamics.
