Africa is Going to Miss Out on the Transition
Authored by Tshepo Magagane
Africa is going to miss out on the Transition – I am more certain of it as each day passes!
These institutions were not built with Africa’s development agenda an objective – the shock feigned shock horror from Africans is puzzling!
What you should be more concerned about are institutions on the continent that are worse than this – staffed by Africans but with zero agency on Africa’s development – and somewhat proud of it!
You have people with salaries that afford them lifestyles that are far above the local population and as long as they are lording over them, they are fine.
I saw how Africa missed Chinese steel production while Australia fully benefited from it – I worked with the late Ken Talbot – key assets were a coking coal asset in Moz and an iron ore asset in Cameroon – Moz needed the Nacala line to exploit that coal basin and WAfrica needed a consolidated rail and port solution – when Ken passed away – got a message that his plane had disappeared on a Sat morning (he was with us in London that week and we stayed back) – you first think of his family and then what happens to you and then “bloody hell, you dont have a character to push through what is required to make a success of what is needed with these regions”!
Imagine that, an Aussie, not just an Aussie but one from Brisbane – think of what it takes to get to Africa from there!
On our projects that can be so catalytic to Africa’s development, the people who are helpful a lot of the times are not even African.
I am not saying this because one is a Motswana, but the reason Botswana and Bafokeng have been able to exploit their resources to their benefit is simply because every single person takes it upon themselves to see what they are doing to the greater cause – it was the same with what is called the NWest province in SA – the development was despite of apartheid, everyone took it upon themselves.
Subjugation and oppression has messed with our minds as Africans, they are rotten from inside – I was having a conversation with a CEO/Founder of a fund a few years back while assisting her with the asset gathering and she went “yeah Tshepo, I hear you but a lot of the times it is simply ‘who the hell do you think you are while I am stuck here’ “!
A multilateral senior said months back over lunch “for the first time in history, the G7 and Africa’s interests are aligned…it wont last…how do we take advantage of that”…
…does not seem any African leader, institution gets this – as long as they have their comfy lives!
By hook or crook, we are going to make it work even just for us – imagine missing out on other Khoemacau opps again ie turning USD35m into USD2bn in 7yrs – what are we then – JUST JOKES!
