N'da Yao Messou is president of a cocoa farmers’ association in Niable, eastern Ivory Coast. Women’s right to development has a long way to go.
Reuters/Thierry Gouegnon
Matthew E. Kahn, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
China has the world’s second-largest economy, powered by cheap labor and cheap fossil fuel. But now Chinese urbanites want greener, healthier lifestyles. Can the government deliver them?
Artisanal small-scale mining in Africa competes for resources with farming.
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Without careful policy consideration the rise of artisanal and small-scale mining in resource rich African countries stands to disturb agricultural activity and associated livelihoods.
The world’s use of finite resources continues to rise as global development continues. Can we help poorer nations raise their standard of living without exhausting all of our raw materials?
International investors are still rattled by President Jacob Zuma’s sacking of respected Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene.
Reuters/Sumaya Hisham
South Africa has narrowly escaped a downgrade of the rating of its sovereign bonds, but government has its work cut out as it seeks to restore investor confidence and lift economic growth.
Malcolm Turnbull outlines his vision of ‘City Deals’ that enable ‘smart cities’ to drive growth in the new economy.
AAP/Lukas Coch
The Turnbull government sees the ‘City Deal’ as a way for ‘smart cities’ to drive innovation and growth. But what is the value proposition behind this UK concept and how might it work in Australia?
Not what they were: oil fields.
zhengzaishuru/shutterstock
Nobel laureate and Kwame Nkrumah’s economic adviser Arthur Lewis saw Ghana as a testing ground for his ideas on economic development. But he was met with fierce resistance.
Coal Washer, Clay County, Kentucky, 2007.
Jfacew/Wikimedia
The U.S. coal industry is rapidly losing jobs and market share to lower-carbon energy sources. Here we examine what kind of aid can help mining communities transition to a post-coal future.
Traffic jams in major African cities such as Lagos, pictured here, as well as Uganda’s Kampala, are a major drain on productivity.
Reuters/Akintunde Akinleye
Kampala generates about 60% of Uganda’s GDP. In the coming decade urbanisation is the single largest opportunity to spur economic growth in the coming decade.
A Kenyan woman does a financial transaction using her mobile phone.
Africaknows/Joshua Wanyama
Financial inclusion has so far focused on enhancing a poor person’s cash flow. But it needs to involve more. Not enough consideration is given to encouraging poor people to build assets.
Capitalism in Africa has failed to create social wealth. A new approach is needed to ensure that growth in profits results in social upliftment.
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The fortunes of the world’s remaining wild gorillas is linked to prosperity in the places where they live - hence the high price of tourist permits. But with economic development comes economic threats too.
A cleaner walks past a promotional poster at an Africa Development bank meeting in Shanghai. Western perceptions of China’s investments in Africa are off the mark.
Reuters/Nir Elias
Contrary to Western views, China is in Africa for business. Between 1998 and 2012, about 2000 Chinese firms invested in 49 countries on the African continent.
A chaotic traffic jam chokes the Nigerian coastal capital Lagos.
Reuters/George Esiri
The fact that businesses cannot accurately calculate the cost of doing business in Nigeria because of corruption makes them jittery.But it doesn’t mean Nigeria is more corrupt than any other country.
South Africa’s game reserves are loved by tourists. The new visa regulations could have a negative impact on them.
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The motive behind South Africa’s new visa regulations is noble. But the implementation needs to be adapted and improved to minimise the negative effect on the country’s tourism industry.
Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán escorted by soldiers prior to his second escape from prison.
Reuters / Henry Romero