SMEs - the African opportunity that is been squandered
SMEs - the African opportunity that is been squandered
Africa is rich in two major assets. The first is the abundant minerals. The second is the natural diversity of wildlife.
The African mentality currently appears to be anti-Western and pro-Chinese. The Chinese are treated as saviours and yet they are no different to the colonial powers of earler days. They are simply here to take what they can. The one advantage about dealing with China is that they are not too worried about simple issues such as human rights and personal freedom. They have an incredible ability to always be looking the "right way" when these bad things go down. Never do they criticise. They simply pay and take.
This suits the African governments they deal with, as many are not able to withstand public scrutiny. The latest story with South Africa denying access to a religious leader in the form of the Dalai Lama is typical of the power China wields in Africa.
However, Africa will still learn that it does not matter who takes your minerals, they are still taking them and ensuring that manufacturing never gets off the ground in Africa. No beneficiation. The author of "Capitalist Nigger", a black African himself, commented on this very issue. The situation does not improve, it simply gets worse. Once again Africa works to its own disadvantage as a continent, while corrupt leadership continue to sell their birthrights for a few pieces of silver.
The continent of Africa suffers from immense poverty, which in many ways contributes to many acts of civil disobedience. This results in the wildlife being plundered for overseas trade in our animals and birds. Rhino are butchered as a source of supposed aphrodisiac qualities for the Far Eastern markets. Animals and birds are butchered for bush meat because poverty provides no other solution for many.
There are millions of tourists who would pay billions of US dollars to visit and see this wildlife. However, mnay of these countries are not safe to visit because the tinpot dictators who run them can barely safeguard themselves because of their mismanagement of their countries.
If they started negotiating for their countries and not their own pockets, there would be no need to butcher the wildlife. There would be no need to sell it overseas to make a few cents. They could attract such large volumes of tourism that poverty would not be an issue. If they kicked the Chinese to touch and started real beneficiation, they could create large numbers of jobs, which would further produce benefits for these countries.
Africa must wake up before the land is empty of minerals and wildlife, and there is then nothing left to sell!
Dr Rob Smorfitt
SMEs the African opportunity that is been squandered - To learn more about this author, visit Dr. Rob Smorfitt's Website.
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This article is not an anti-Chinese story, but rather a story of where the future or Africa could lie with a change of government strategies.
Africa is rich in two major assets. The first is the abundant minerals. The second is the natural diversity of wildlife.
The African mentality currently appears to be anti-Western and pro-Chinese. The Chinese are treated as saviours and yet they are no different to the colonial powers of earler days. They are simply here to take what they can. The one advantage about dealing with China is that they are not too worried about simple issues such as human rights and personal freedom. They have an incredible ability to always be looking the "right way" when these bad things go down. Never do they criticise. They simply pay and take.
This suits the African governments they deal with, as many are not able to withstand public scrutiny. The latest story with South Africa denying access to a religious leader in the form of the Dalai Lama is typical of the power China wields in Africa.
However, Africa will still learn that it does not matter who takes your minerals, they are still taking them and ensuring that manufacturing never gets off the ground in Africa. No beneficiation. The author of "Capitalist Nigger", a black African himself, commented on this very issue. The situation does not improve, it simply gets worse. Once again Africa works to its own disadvantage as a continent, while corrupt leadership continue to sell their birthrights for a few pieces of silver.
The continent of Africa suffers from immense poverty, which in many ways contributes to many acts of civil disobedience. This results in the wildlife being plundered for overseas trade in our animals and birds. Rhino are butchered as a source of supposed aphrodisiac qualities for the Far Eastern markets. Animals and birds are butchered for bush meat because poverty provides no other solution for many.
There are millions of tourists who would pay billions of US dollars to visit and see this wildlife. However, mnay of these countries are not safe to visit because the tinpot dictators who run them can barely safeguard themselves because of their mismanagement of their countries.
If they started negotiating for their countries and not their own pockets, there would be no need to butcher the wildlife. There would be no need to sell it overseas to make a few cents. They could attract such large volumes of tourism that poverty would not be an issue. If they kicked the Chinese to touch and started real beneficiation, they could create large numbers of jobs, which would further produce benefits for these countries.
Africa must wake up before the land is empty of minerals and wildlife, and there is then nothing left to sell!
Dr Rob Smorfitt
SMEs the African opportunity that is been squandered - To learn more about this author, visit Dr. Rob Smorfitt's Website.
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