God knows I'm tired of hearing about the black men's sufferings. Truth is suffering is part of live although blacks I've had more. I'm a black man myself, but we as Africans need to do more. I live in the U.S. and all I hear grown, able black men say is "the white is trying to keep me down" when the truth is they aren't even there for their kids. Stop blaming and start doing!
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Racing for New Riches
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While the Chinese focus on commodities, the Russians have that in mind and more. Economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa is expected to hit 6.7 percent this year, and the region's debt burden has fallen from 80 percent of GDP a decade ago to about 30 percent. Economic reform is gaining momentum in places like Zambia and Kenya, and countries like South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria now boast a growing consumer class. The Russians see that and are expanding from oil into financial services, telecom and retail.
Russian banks are fast outpacing Western private-equity investors such as Washington's Emerging Capital Partners and South African hedge funds. It's a Moscow investment firm, Renaissance Capital, that is pioneering services that will soon allow billions in outside money to be channeled into sub-Saharan African businesses. And a new Africa Fund just launched by Renaissance is expected to reach its $1 billion cap by spring —making it as large as the total of five funds put together since 2000 by Emerging Capital Partners, previously the largest private investors.
It's not clear that Russia and China will be better for Africa than Westerners turned out to be. South Africa, for example, has been a model for sustainable growth in the region, but South African corporations eager to expand throughout the continent may be winnowed out by Chinese or Russians who can pay cash for practically any asset. Local leaders say they've been following Western business and development models for decades without seeing returns. New countries may offer something new. At the very least, they bring cash. As the ties come off on the dance floor, and cocktails that would be worth two weeks' wages of a Kenyan laborer are spilled, it's unclear what else the new conquerors will make of Africa's future.
With Karen MacGregor in Durban, South Africa
© 2007
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