Africa Works

Most, if not all of what we think and know about Sub-Saharan Africa, is wrong. The region is best studied through documentation and analysis of the normal, the moral and the effective. In short, embrace what works in Africa.

The emphasis on the pathological by media, aid agencies and even most academics is misguided, disheartening and ultimately intellectually fruitless.

The study of Africa south of the Sahara must begin and end with an understanding of what works and why.

The point isn’t to ignore, downplay or rationalize away African troubles but rather to approach African dysfunctionality, stagnation and failure with a mindset and conceptual tools forged by a prior analysis of healthy people and institutions. Too many aid donors, do-gooders, wolf-criers and begging-addicted Africans themselves benefit from the pornography of African collapse for a constructive
approach to Africa challenges to ever gain much traction. Cannot we not simply agree to no longer priviledge the African pathological? There are indeed many people and systems that work in sub-Saharan Africa, and they do so in spite of structural handicaps. Gain an understanding of what works, then use this understanding to drive an analysis of what doesn’t work and how real African reformers can flourish.