2026-03-23
7 分钟Hi there, it's Jason Palmer here, co-host of The Intelligence, our daily news and current affairs podcast.
This is Editor's Picks.
You're about to hear an article from the latest edition of The Economist read aloud.
Enjoy.
You might think that Africa would be in the midst of a crisis.
The four largest donors all cut their aid spending in Africa last year, according to initial data.
America slapped some of its highest tariffs on African countries.
China, the continent's largest bilateral source of loans for most of the 21st century,
today receives more from Africa in debt repayments than it extends in new credit.
On top of all that, the war in Iran will increase the cost of fuel and fertiliser.
Yet African countries look resilient.
The IMF reckons that in 2026 economic growth will be higher in Africa than in Asia, hitherto a rare occurrence.
Of the 15 fastest-growing countries anywhere, 11 are expected to be on the continent.
The picture partly reflects high commodity prices and booming populations,
but it is also revealing of something more profound.
The rise of Africa as a destination for investment, not charity.
To be sure, there is not one Africa.
Some of the continent is at war, Sudan, or unstable, the Sahel.
But the most economically important parts are not.
Internal strife can coexist with thriving industries, even within the same country.