US-China Competition for Africa's Critical Minerals

 The Atlantic Council published on 26 November 2024 a commentary titled "The US Won't Gain a Lead in the Competition for Africa's Critical Minerals Without Innovation" by Chris Moorman.

In order to compete successfully with China for Africa's critical minerals, it  needs to form partnerships with African countries that are economically feasible, environmentally sustainable, and ethical.  The only way to do that is by driving innovation along the critical minerals supply chain, specifically in processing and refining.

Do Chinese Firms Contribute to Economic Transformation in Africa?

 The Journal of International Development published in 2022 a study titled "Economic Transformation in Africa: What Is the Role of Chinese Firms?" by Linda Calabrese and Xiaoyang Tang.

The literature on the role of Chinese firms in the economic transformation of Africa suggests they have a positive impact.  Africa-China trade leads to mixed results, while Chinese investment and infrastructure construction contribute positively to transformation. 

Africa and the Global Competitiveness Index

The World Economic Forum publishes annually "The Global Competitiveness Report"; the report for 2018 is available. It evaluated 140 economies, including 38 in Africa. The index looks at 12 categories dealing with enabling environment (institutions, infrastructure, ICT adoption, and macroeconomic stability), human capital (health and skills), markets (product market, labor market, financial system, and market size), and innovation ecosystem (business dynamism and innovation capability).

The ten highest ranked countries in Africa are Mauritius (49), South Africa (67), Seychelles (74), Morocco (75), Tunisia (87), Botswana (90), Algeria (92), Kenya (93), Egypt (94), and Namibia (100). Of the 30 lowest ranked countries, 26 of them are in Africa.

Catalyzing Investment in Africa

The World Bank and China Development Bank recently released a major study titled "Leapfrogging: The Key to Africa's Development? From Constraints to Investment Opportunities." It explores ways to catalyze a new generation of investment opportunities in Africa that leverage the ability of many countries to leapfrog into the future.

The World Bank and China Development Bank inaugurated the report at the Third Investing in Africa Forum hosted by the government of Senegal in Dakar on 25-27 September, 2017.

East Africa: Forbes' 2017 Listing of Best Countries for Business

Forbes has released its 2017 global listing of Best Countries for Business. It evaluated 139 countries on the basis of the following 11 factors: property rights, innovation, taxes, technology, corruption, red tape, investor protection, stock market performance, personal freedom, trade freedom, and monetary freedom.

Countries in East Africa did not score well. Kenya ranked best at number 105, followed by Uganda (107), Tanzania (122), and Ethiopia (130). Other countries in the Horn of Africa were not included in the survey.

Africa Straight Up

Theresa H. Clarke, chairman and CEO of Africa.com has produced a 28 minute film about Africa titled Africa Straight Up. It is a positive view of the continent drawing on examples from Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria and Ethiopia. It encourages the private sector and urges the African diaspora to return.