Article

2005-06-10 Africa: Subsaharan

Lack of investment claimed to be the tragedy in Africa

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Posted by too true 2005-06-10 05:44|| || Front Page|| [9 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 This article gets part of the answer right but small time entrepreneurs in Africa need access to really small amounts of capital to set up businesses, generally less than a USD100. Banks are not interested in lending such small amounts. The model that works is mutual societies, where people pool savings and make loans to members, often what is lacking is the knowhow of how to do this.

Posted by phil_b 2005-06-10 07:04|| 2005-06-10 07:04|| Front Page Top

#2 The tragedy of Africa is the lawlessness, corruption and incompetence of its rulers.

Posted by Spot">Spot 2005-06-10 07:50|| 2005-06-10 07:50|| Front Page Top

#3 Believe me, if I had any excess money around and wanted to flush it down a toilet, Africa would be the first place I'd look to invest.

Posted by tu3031 2005-06-10 08:35|| 2005-06-10 08:35|| Front Page Top

#4 You may be right Tu but I still favor quality Mexican racehorse partnerships.

Posted by Shipman 2005-06-10 09:32|| 2005-06-10 09:32|| Front Page Top

#5 Hey! Lets invest in large-scale farming in Zimbabwe!

Er, wait a minute....

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2005-06-10 10:09|| 2005-06-10 10:09|| Front Page Top

#6 Why sink money into Africa when some tinpot dictator might get a wild hair and decide to nationalize whatever you invested in? Call us when you give up your love affair with socialism and develop some respect for property rights.

Posted by BH 2005-06-10 10:10|| 2005-06-10 10:10|| Front Page Top

#7 The problem in Africa is corruption and mismanagement not funding. Let's just remember the well known history of the bridge who cost gazillions to build but was not connected to any road and even if the roads had been built would have had near zero traffic because there was no economic activity in the regions around justifying its building.

Oh, and those gazillions weren't lost for everyone.

There are also countless examples of equipment who was built but no funding was earmarked for maintenance so after just a few years it was in ruins.

Posted by JFM">JFM 2005-06-10 10:52|| 2005-06-10 10:52|| Front Page Top

#8 Giving money to Africa will be more money for the policians/dictators to steal. I am sending money to one of those widows in Algeria that needs to get access to her frozen accounts. Just wnated you to know that I am doing my part for Africa.

Posted by Cyber Sarge">Cyber Sarge 2005-06-10 13:01|| 2005-06-10 13:01|| Front Page Top

#9 Kim du Toit essay on aid to Africa.

Posted by Lurker 2005-06-10 23:43|| 2005-06-10 23:43|| Front Page Top

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