In a few weeks we shall be in 2025, and begin closing the first quarter of what optimists predicted would be an African Century.
The idea that the 21st century could be “Africa’s century” was pushed by various African and global leaders, but one of the most prominent figures to popularise the phrase was Thabo Mbeki, former President of South Africa. Mbeki, in his numerous speeches during the early 2000s, often emphasised the potential of Africa to overcome its challenges and rise as a major global player in the 21st century.
In a September 2006 speech to world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Mbeki urged for measures to lift Africa’s people out of poverty.
“Those who populate the poorest part of the regions of the world – Africa – have boldly declared that it will be an African Century,” Mbeki said. “If the wishes of the majority of the world could turn into reality, this would be a century free of wars, free of internecine conflicts, free of hunger, free of preventable disease, free of want, free of environmental degradation and free of greed and corruption.”
His vision was deeply connected to his advocacy for the African Renaissance, a concept focused on revitalising the continent’s culture, economy, and political systems. Other leaders and institutions, such as former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, also echoed this sentiment during the same period, calling attention to Africa’s growing opportunities despite its challenges.
As we close in on 2025 the continent should have scored 25% on the Mbeki-Anna Africa Winning the 21st Century Exam. There have been a few good hits and many big misses.
Let us forget, for a few minutes, the ideologies, the black and proud polemics, and nationalist fightback against imperialists, and Wakanda Forever pats on the back.
What do the hard facts and data tell us?
Take the continental economy. Africa’s total gross domestic product (GDP) in 2000 was about US$587 billion, representing 1.7% of global GDP at that point. The total GDP of Africa in 2024 is approximately $2.96 trillion, which accounts for about 3.5% of global GDP in 2024. Africa accounts for 18% of the world’s global population today, so contributing 3.5% would seem like nothing to write home about. Still, it is progress, having grown nearly sixfold in the first quarter of the 21st Century. It is relatively a small portion of the global economy, not because it didn’t progress, but due to more rapid growth in other regions, particularly in Asia.
Africa has seen a technological boom, with mobile banking, for example, M-Pesa in Kenya. M-Pesa, launched in Kenya in 2007 by telecom Safaricom, was the world’s first mobile money platform, and is widely regarded as the globe’s leading mobile money system. It has revolutionised financial services in Africa and beyond, and brought more into the financial system in ten years in the countries it operates, than banks had done in the previous 100 years.
By 2024, Africa’s fintech sector is expected to be valued at over $200 billion, and it has produced several “unicorn” companies (startups valued at over $1 billion).
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows (taken as an indicator of how precious a market is) into Africa have more than doubled between 2000 and 2024, surpassing $80 billion annually by 2024.
Africa also pulled off something cynics thought was impossible. It established the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in 2021, a major milestone in Africa’s global economic positioning. AfCFTA is designed to boost intra-African trade, but it also positions Africa as a unified economic bloc, enhancing its bargaining power in global trade negotiations. AfCFTA created the largest free trade area globally by number of countries, with 54 signatories, representing a market of over 1.3 billion people.
Africa is a critical supplier of key global resources, including minerals (cobalt, lithium, and rare earth elements), oil, and agricultural products. The global shift towards renewable energy has elevated Africa’s importance as a source of materials needed for green technologies, such as cobalt for electric vehicle batteries.
Indicator: Africa holds about 30% of the world’s mineral resources and supplies more than 60% of the world’s cobalt (largely from the Democratic Republic of Congo).
On raw political and diplomatic influence, it might not seem like it to a rushed observer, but there too, Africa’s voice in international affairs and global governance has strengthened over the past two decades, driven by its economic, political, cultural, and demographic significance.
Africa’s influence within the United Nations has increased as African countries push for reforms. Africa holds 54 of the 193 seats in the UN General Assembly, the largest voting bloc, and it continues to push for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. That became closer to reality when recently holdout U.S. backed the idea of Africa getting two seats.
South Africa has been the sole African member of the G20, representing African interests in this influential forum. Recently, the African Union (AU) was granted permanent membership in the G20, enhancing Africa’s global diplomatic stature.
Africa’s cultural influence on the global stage has grown considerably through media, sports, arts, and the rise of the African diaspora. The growth of Africa’s global cultural, art, music, and film industries from 2000 to 2024 has been significant, marked by increased visibility, participation, and economic contributions.
African music genres, particularly Afrobeats, have gained international prominence. Artists like Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido have topped global charts. The African music industry was valued at approximately $7 billion in 2023, up from around $2 billion in 2000. This represents a growth of about 250% over two decades.
The number of streaming subscriptions for African music has surged, with platforms like Spotify and Apple Music expanding their presence in Africa. By 2024, the number of digital music consumers in Africa is expected to exceed 150 million.
Jerusalema, by South African producer Master KG and singer, Nomcebo, was the world’s leading happy anthem during the challenging period of global COVID-19 lockdowns. Could it have been that Jerusalema is what broke the industrialised nations’ hoarding of Covid vaccines and egged them to support vaccination in the hard-pressed parts of Africa?
Nigeria’s film industry, Nollywood, has become one of the largest in the world by volume, producing over 2,500 films annually. The industry was valued at approximately $6.2 billion in 2023, up from around $200 million in 2000, reflecting a growth of over 3,000%. In 2022, the box office revenue for African films reached over $1 billion, an increase from around $250 million in 2000.
The African contemporary art market has also seen rapid growth, with sales at auctions increasing significantly. In 2000, the total sales of African art at international auctions were around $30 million, while by 2023, it reached over $500 million, marking an increase of over 1,566%.
By 2024, the number of African content creators on platforms like YouTube and TikTok is estimated to be over 20 million.
The creative sector’s contribution to Africa’s GDP has been steadily increasing. By 2024, the cultural and creative industries are expected to contribute around 2.5% to the continent’s GDP, up from about 1% in 2000.
It is estimated that the creative industries this year will employ over 10 million people in Africa.
Africa’s population today is projected to be over 1.4 billion, with the continent being home to some of the world’s fastest-growing populations. This demographic growth, especially the youth population, has positioned Africa as a future global labour and consumer market. Africa is projected to account for over half of the world’s population growth by 2050, and by 2024, it will have the world’s youngest population (median age of 19.7). However, youth unemployment rates are high, with many young people lacking access to education and vocational training.
The bad and ugly elements are rampant, and the continent is paying a very high price. In 2000, Africa was home to about 30-40% of the world’s conflicts. In 2024, it is estimated to account for over 50% of the world’s active conflicts, making it the region with the highest concentration of wars and armed conflicts globally. The rise in terrorism, insurgencies, and political instability has increased the share of conflicts taking place on the continent.
As a result, Africa accounts for a large portion of the world’s displaced population, with 36.8 million displaced persons (IDPs and refugees combined), representing around 32% of global displacement. Africa is home to about 7.7 million refugees. They fled their countries due to conflicts, persecution, or violence, with significant refugee populations from countries such as South Sudan, DRC, Somalia, and Sudan. African refugees account for around 22% of the total global refugee population. This means that more than one in five refugees globally is from Africa.
According to the UN, around 282 million people in Africa are undernourished, representing about 20.2% of the continent’s population. In 2023, it was estimated that more than 140 million people in Africa were experiencing acute food insecurity.
Nearly one in five children under the age of 5 in Africa (about 59 million children) are stunted due to chronic malnutrition.
Around 10 million children suffer from wasting (acute malnutrition).
Poverty in Africa has worsened in recent years due to various factors, including economic shocks, climate change, conflict, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the World Bank, as of 2023, 60% of the world’s extreme poor (those living on less than $1.90 per day) live in Sub-Saharan Africa. This means that Africa has become the epicentre of global poverty. There are currently around 490 million people living in extreme poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, out of a global total of approximately 735 million. This is a significant increase compared to previous decades.
Though Africa has the lowest numbers of cars per capita in the world, its road traffic death rate in Africa is 26.6 deaths per 100,000 people, the highest of any region globally. This is nearly three times higher than the road traffic death rates in Europe, which average around 9.3 deaths per 100,000.
Corruption is also taking a high toll on the continent. According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), of the 10 most corrupt countries in the world, 6 are African (Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Sudan, Equatorial Guinea). No African country is in the top 20 least corrupt globally. The highest-ranking African nation, Seychelles, is ranked 23rd.
According to UNICEF and UNESCO data, as of 2023, there are an estimated 98 million children in Sub-Saharan Africa who are out of school. This accounts for nearly one-third of all out-of-school children globally, making Africa the region with the highest number of children not attending school.
The number of out-of-school children in Africa has increased by over 6 million in recent years, reversing decades of progress in education access.
Africa faces complex and interlinked challenges that are impacting its development, stability, the well-being of its people, and threatening its future. Addressing these threats is possible, and to win the 21st Century, it is important for Africa to believe, as did in 2000, that it can be done.
