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It was a nice summary of recent US initiatives across different administrations, though I would not get too excited by Joe Biden’s visit to Angola. They probably let him buy his own ticket. He thought he was going to a Nato meeting in Belgium.
But I’m surprised more is not made of American businesses and investment in SA, as an example of how the US can and will get involved in Africa, given the chance.
The US is the greatest capitalist enterprise in human history. Capital is both its interest and what it is interested in, in other countries. SA shows that where private US capital sees an opportunity in Africa — and a reasonable chance of repatriating earnings — it will pile in.
It is not the US government’s job to make this happen. It’s the job of African governments to free their people to invest, grow and prosper. Once the private sector gets on the march in Africa the US will come. But it won’t be the US government. It will be the greatest part of what makes the US great: private capital.
Stuart Meyer Via BusinessLIVE
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LETTER: Private capital could lure US
Ziyanda Stuurman’s debut column was well researched, and informative (“Biden’s Angola visit aims to make the Lobito Corridor a policy showpiece”, November 25).
It was a nice summary of recent US initiatives across different administrations, though I would not get too excited by Joe Biden’s visit to Angola. They probably let him buy his own ticket. He thought he was going to a Nato meeting in Belgium.
But I’m surprised more is not made of American businesses and investment in SA, as an example of how the US can and will get involved in Africa, given the chance.
The US is the greatest capitalist enterprise in human history. Capital is both its interest and what it is interested in, in other countries. SA shows that where private US capital sees an opportunity in Africa — and a reasonable chance of repatriating earnings — it will pile in.
It is not the US government’s job to make this happen. It’s the job of African governments to free their people to invest, grow and prosper. Once the private sector gets on the march in Africa the US will come. But it won’t be the US government. It will be the greatest part of what makes the US great: private capital.
Stuart Meyer
Via BusinessLIVE
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
ZIYANDA STUURMAN: Biden’s Angola visit aims to make the Lobito Corridor a policy showpiece
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