african-assian-population-growthIn “The West” we don’t often discuss or even consider Africa.  However, over the next 20 years the population of Africa is going to double and we will all be paying attention to that.  Without doubt Africa’s population explosion will lead to two things:

  1. Increased demand for goods and services
  2. Increased workforce to provide those goods and services

What is in question is:

  1. Will the governments of the Africa continue to stabilize?
  2. Will the rule of law continue to expand and allow individuals and companies to prosper on a playing field level enough to attract foreign talent and capital?
  3. Will African infrastructure continue to improve or will investments stop causing the existing infrastructure to decay?
  4. Will governments be able to educate their populations so that they are useful participants in a modern economy?
  5. Will African farmers produce enough food to sustain their population?

By 2050 Africa (if it were a single country) will have the largest population and the largest workforce in the world and we think that single fact will necessitate massive legal, economic and governmental changes.  In particular, it is possible that the majority of industrializing African countries could for European Union type assembly before 2050 as the opportunities in Africa continue to grow and citizens continue to demand better governance.  The current African Union is a good start, but it needs to be much more that it is today.

More and more people think that Africa today is equivalent to China in the 1980’s and those that get in early will have long lasting natural advantages in the future.  Nigeria will have the population of the United States by the mid-2040’s and like China, Nigeria has become increasingly stable over the last decade.

Watch how Edward Hightower Explains how the African Population Explosion Creates Opportunities in the Automotive Sector with focus on Nigeria, South Africa and Morocco:

This was a focused version of the longer 27 minute Autoline video available HERE.

This video from CCTV News explains that African countries have banded together into “regions” which is a first step to an EU type agreement:

The idea of most African nations forming a Union similar to the United States or the European Union is one that has been floating around for years but will not take root until member states believe such a union is in their best interest.  In the case of the EU, the member states felt safer and stronger together than the did apart.  That bonding also made it much more difficult for dictators and criminals to operate:

Unlike China, Africa is seen by the West as fractious and unstable.  The historic forces that drew other countries together (like the US, EU, Canada, …) could have an enormous healing benefit on Africa both domestically and internationally.

If African countries chose to ignore their opportunities for political union, they are unlikely to reap the economic benefits of their opportunities.


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