How Africa Works: Success and Failure on the World’s Last Developmental Frontier

Africa can achieve sustainable economic growth if governments there boost agriculture and manufacturing while avoiding political upheavals and war, according to this sweeping analysis. Journalist Studwell (How Asia Works) ascribes Africa’s poverty to chronic underpopulation and European colonial rule. Thanks to booming, better-educated populations, however, African economies are now poised to take off, he argues, provided governments follow the development playbook of Asian countries like South Korea and China. The key measures, he contends, are supporting small-scale farming with land redistribution and credit for seeds and fertilizers; making targeted investments in export-oriented manufacturing that fosters industrial ecosystems; and building infrastructure. Studwell reports on the growing economies of such African countries as Mauritius, Botswana, and Ethiopia. Drawing on World Bank statistics and his own reportage on innovative farmers and dynamic manufacturing start-ups, Studwell paints richly detailed portraits of African economies and takes an optimistic stance on the continent’s future, which isn’t always convincing, given sub-Saharan Africa as a whole is economically stagnant (it was slightly poorer in 2024 than in 2014 on a per-capita GDP basis). Still, Studwell is worth reading for his fine-grained insights into African politics and economies. (Feb.)