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How Africa Rising turned into Africa Falling again
The good vibes only last so long, especially when the results do not match the hype. And after that happens, people stop believing
It was a good thing while it lasted, "Africa Rising". Great slogan; short and punchy. Great public relations value. And the media was using it in nearly every story it wrote about Africa. Actually, it invented it. It was all things Africa. All-encompassing. It was inspiring. Unifying. It got people believing again. Finally, there was hope! But, like everything else in life, what goes up must come down. Even Africa Rising. The good vibes only last so long, especially when the results do not match the hype. And after that happens, people stop believing. The phrase is not heard too often nowadays. That is because, unfortunately, Africa is no longer rising. It is falling. However, the entire continent cannot be painted with a single brush. There are 55 countries in Africa and some of them are turning out strong growth numbers. Ethiopia is projected to hit 6.7% real GDP growth in 2017. Rwanda is looking at 6.6%, Kenya at 6.0% and Tanzania 6.9%. These figures are projected irrespective of...
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