African Prosperity is in our grasp, but we need to get out of our own way.

Africa is the richest, poor continent in the world.

Riddled with conflicts over our natural resources (riches) and hindered by the divides we have held on to since post-colonialism, we are being 'distracted' while others enrich themselves from our natural resources, preventing large-scale African prosperity.

We need to get out of our own way by knowing and understanding the tools of policy that governments have committed to, and then holding them responsible and accountable to delivering on them.

We need to get out of our own way by not talking about African unity, but actually finding ways to collaborate and unite for economic benefit.

We need to get out of our own way by ensuring that when we show up, we show up with excellence so that becomes the standard by which African-ness is perceived.

We need to get out of our own way by not normalising mediocrity and definitely not celebrating when the bare minimum is met.

We need to get out of our own way, by making an effort to be transparent and trustworthy. Closing the trust deficit through governance is critical.

We need to get out of our own way by being ashamed and embarassed to hand over a continent to the next generation that is corrupt, sold off, and debt-ridden.

We need to get out of our own way by not talking and making speeches, but rather by implementing and actualising.

We need to get out of our own way by not being an echo chamber to our leaders, but by holding them accountable for our well-being and prosperity.

We need to get out of our own way by putting in the work to monitor and evaluate our governments as active citizens on their activations, promises, and delivery.

WE really need to get out of our own way!

Yes we can say governments and leaders are not serving the public as they should, and you will be right every single time - but we also need to turn that finger-pointing to ourselves and ask what we could do to become more prosperous with what we already have - which is far more than most countries have in terms of natural resources.

Let's take a quick simplified look at the UAE, as an example:

The region has wealthy and prosperous citizenship, mostly from trading natural commodities like Crude Petroleum ($105B), Refined Petroleum ($57.9B). Then, in addition the UAE's third highest export is Gold ($32.8B), yet there is not a single gold mine anywhere in the UAE - all of their gold comes from Africa!

UAE citizens use the policies and tools of their respective governments to leverage and create their immense wealth, for e.g. their tax-free shopping advantage is actualised in many ways from reselling the unrefined raw African gold, to selling it at a premium after refining the raw gold into bullion and bars, and then taking it further to becoming one of the largest jewellry markets in the world aided by tax-free shopping advantages to offer customers.

So, what tools or policies do we have to allow Africans to become prosperous?

First up, obviously is the AfCFTA African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat - arguably, the greatest economic tool of our time, because intra-Africa trade optimisation results in

• regional integration
• market expansion
• accelerated infrastructure development
• diversified products and services
• peace and stability
• developed human capital

So, yes it is definitely not a silver bullet, but it's the closest thing we have, to an economic version of a 'knight in shining armour'. But, in order for the AfCFTA to truly lift 30-50 million Africans out of poverty, and herald a new era of 'Africa Rising', we first must want to buy 'African-Made'. If we still hold on to beliefs that only that which comes from other places in the world is superior, the AfCFTA will operationalise technically, but not actualise any potential prosperity.

My mum always asks me to buy her cardamom when I go through Dubai airport, because it is supposedly cheaper, until one day I said to her that the cardamom actually comes from Africa and it is far cheaper to buy in Tanzania for example, than Dubai. She was surprised until I showed her my stock of cardamom derived from wherever in Africa I travel - needless to say African cardamom has gained a new fan because when she smelt it and used it, she realised that it is far more potent than any cardamom she had used before.

It is a perception that is perpetuated that Africa does not or cannot produce anything of value or premium quality - and this is what is limiting our development. It's what's holding us back.

We're effectively standing in our own way.

The ONLY people who can change that is us - Africans.

Another of our policies, which is far more of an inconvenient truth for most Heads of States, than the prosperity catalyst it can be - is the AU's Free Movement Protocol.

Let me put this in a relateable context.

While Africa was divided by borders through colonisation, the EU as we know it today, post-colonisation united their continent and unionised for economic benefit, no matter the issues they had with each other.

They developed the framework of the "FOUR FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS", key word, "Freedoms", and membership of the EU still today is dependant on accepting the free movement of Capital, Goods, Services and PEOPLE. It's the basis on which the EU has built their significant wealth and prosperity, creating an enabling environment for EU citizens to have 'access' - access to opportunities, education, wealth creation, employment, and so on.

What will surprise you is that the EU's economic revolution all happened in a mere 9 years, from 1960 - 1969, in a period the Europeans refer to as the "swinging sixties" (and not 'that' swinging sixties -this is the other one! LOL).

Financial Freedom, Economic Development and Fiscal Growth is within reach for African prosperity to be our future reality - all one needs to do is look at the number of commodities Africa is blessed with, including our arable land and youth population that is poised to become the majority of the global workforce by 2050.

But, we must WANT it, and then get out of our own way.

Having led discussions both at the SADC Business Council's Southern African Industrialisation Forum, and then in Seychelles last week for the AU ECOSOCC working session with the MP's from PAP, I presented a sneak peek into the African Prosperity Report due to be published later this year, and certain things became clear:

1. We must be intentional: with our words, actions and consumer buying behavior #BuyAfricanMade -make it a not negotiable for at least 70% of what you surround yourself with. Read package labels, and develop an aspiration for all things African. I've made it clear, I'm insulted when you bring French champagne to my house. Maybe I am biased BUT South African wines and bubbly are the best in the world! Buying African made is an intentional lifestyle choice.
2. Unless you're going to talk about what you have already done, let's not talk, let's DO! Let's normalise showing off what we have DONE.
3. Holding leaders accountable will not be easy in Africa where leaders are institutionalised as part of the nation's identity. But, we don't have a choice. It needs to be done if we are to hand over a continent that is remotely self-sustainable

#TradeNotAid is my mantra, and as I reflect on this #FreeTradeFriday halfway through International Women's month, I think of the girl child born in Africa - our mothers, sisters, girlfriends, ourselves and our daughters... arguably the most marginalised humans on Earth: May we not rest until our daughters are prosperous!

Ends.