Brilliant essay. Examines the decision-making from every angle.
Maybe there's some truth after all to the idea that the problem really did lie outside Africa. It connects to how the economic dimension gets underestimated, with people reaching for answers outside economics instead. It's hard to choose correctly when no path leads to success.
The Western world is now living something similar. Factory collapses, layoffs, and the resulting decline of entire regions have become an ordinary part of reality. In that situation there's no right decision, because it's a loss in competition — a loss against 200 states and millions of firms worldwide. No leader and no genius, no culture, can reverse that kind of defeat. A new winner has to emerge, and decline simply moves on to the next location.
Africa has lost this competition more often. But not always. Worth looking at the African startups and communities that found their footing locally and are prospering — and studying how they managed to outcompete the field.
Then there's another path Africa is uniquely suited for: bring money into regions and keep it there. A way exists. That measure should start reviving local economies across most regions, step by step.
Sound analysis, Jozef. You’re hitting on something that often gets lost. Places everywhere in the world are struggling. Africa is not unique in that. There are options available to us to address our struggles. We can’t focus on one area or issue as the culprit or blame. We have to widen the lens and, most importantly, figure out how we feature in what is unfolding. Your insights on the economic aspects of our struggles are on point. Would welcome more of your thoughts on that front and how we can integrate that kind of thinking within our politics, which is an extension of our culture.
Brilliant essay. Examines the decision-making from every angle.
Maybe there's some truth after all to the idea that the problem really did lie outside Africa. It connects to how the economic dimension gets underestimated, with people reaching for answers outside economics instead. It's hard to choose correctly when no path leads to success.
The Western world is now living something similar. Factory collapses, layoffs, and the resulting decline of entire regions have become an ordinary part of reality. In that situation there's no right decision, because it's a loss in competition — a loss against 200 states and millions of firms worldwide. No leader and no genius, no culture, can reverse that kind of defeat. A new winner has to emerge, and decline simply moves on to the next location.
Africa has lost this competition more often. But not always. Worth looking at the African startups and communities that found their footing locally and are prospering — and studying how they managed to outcompete the field.
Then there's another path Africa is uniquely suited for: bring money into regions and keep it there. A way exists. That measure should start reviving local economies across most regions, step by step.
Sound analysis, Jozef. You’re hitting on something that often gets lost. Places everywhere in the world are struggling. Africa is not unique in that. There are options available to us to address our struggles. We can’t focus on one area or issue as the culprit or blame. We have to widen the lens and, most importantly, figure out how we feature in what is unfolding. Your insights on the economic aspects of our struggles are on point. Would welcome more of your thoughts on that front and how we can integrate that kind of thinking within our politics, which is an extension of our culture.