Is investing in Africa a good bet?
<p><span word="Many">Many</span> <span word="sub">sub</span>-<span word="Saharan">Saharan</span> <span word="countries">countries</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="sustained">sustained</span> <span word="economic">economic</span> <span word="growth">growth</span> <span word="despite">despite</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="global">global</span> <span word="recession">recession</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="conflict">conflict</span>, <span word="political">political</span> <span word="instability">instability</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="weather">weather</span> <span word="extremes">extremes</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="areas">areas</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="investors">investors</span> <span word="away">away</span>. <span word="At">At</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="World">World</span> <span word="Economic">Economic</span> <span word="Forum">Forum</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Davos">Davos</span>, <span word="Switzerland">Switzerland</span>, <span word="African">African</span> <span word="leaders">leaders</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="others">others</span> <span word="talked">talked</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="what">what</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="done">done</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="continent">continent</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="attractive">attractive</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="investors">investors</span>.</p><p><span word="From">From</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="start">start</span>, <span word="those">those</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="panel">panel</span> <span word="questioned">questioned</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="title">title</span>, <span word="De">De</span>-<span word="risking">risking</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span>. <span word="South">South</span> <span word="African">African</span> <span word="president">president</span> <span word="Jacob">Jacob</span> <span word="Zuma">Zuma</span> <span word="said">said</span>, “<span word="I">I</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="questioning">questioning</span> <span word="myself">myself</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="topic">topic</span>. <span word="De">De</span>-<span word="risking">risking</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span>. <span word="Is">Is</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span> <span word="risky">risky</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="region">region</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>? <span word="Somebody">Somebody</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="looks">looks</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="there">there</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="perception">perception</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="needs">needs</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="dealt">dealt</span> <span word="with">with</span>.”</p><p><span word="Mr">Mr</span>. <span word="Zuma">Zuma</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="takes">takes</span> <span word="issue">issue</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="perception">perception</span>, <span word="adding">adding</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="African">African</span> <span word="leaders">leaders</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="taken">taken</span> <span word="measures">measures</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="ensure">ensure</span> <span word="stability">stability</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="countries">countries</span>.</p><p>“<span word="African">African</span> <span word="leaders">leaders</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="collectively">collectively</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="together">together</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="that">that</span> [<span word="are">are</span>] <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="move">move</span> <span word="forward">forward</span>. <span word="We">We</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="collectively">collectively</span> <span word="dealt">dealt</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="issue">issue</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="democracy">democracy</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="continent">continent</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span>. <span word="We">We</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="entrenching">entrenching</span> <span word="democratic">democratic</span> <span word="rule">rule</span>. <span word="We">We</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="taken">taken</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="decision">decision</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="grow">grow</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="infrastructure">infrastructure</span>; <span word="to">to</span> <span word="grow">grow</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="intra">intra</span>-<span word="trade">trade</span>. <span word="We">We</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="moving">moving</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="integrate">integrate</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="five">five</span> <span word="economic">economic</span> <span word="regions">regions</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="continent">continent</span>,” <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="Nigerian">Nigerian</span> <span word="president">president</span> <span word="Goodluck">Goodluck</span> <span word="Jonathan">Jonathan</span> <span word="agreed">agreed</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="overall">overall</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="continent">continent</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="stable">stable</span> <span word="politically">politically</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="economically">economically</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Before">Before</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="time">time</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="growth">growth</span> <span word="rate">rate</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="stagnant">stagnant</span>, <span word="just">just</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="Zuma">Zuma</span> <span word="said">said</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="period">period</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="growth">growth</span> <span word="rate">rate</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="African">African</span> <span word="countries">countries</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="significantly">significantly</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span> <span word="average">average</span>. <span word="Countries">Countries</span> <span word="like">like</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="Ethiopia">Ethiopia</span>, <span word="Ghana">Ghana</span>, <span word="Niger">Niger</span>, <span word="Liberia">Liberia</span>, <span word="though">though</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="economies">economies</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="terms">terms</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="growth">growth</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="quite">quite</span> <span word="significant">significant</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="shows">shows</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="focus">focus</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="promise">promise</span>,” <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p>
页:
[1]