Introduction

Africa has experienced unprecedented growth over the last decade and a half and has remained the second fastest growing region in the world since 2000. The idea of a “big” continental Africa is often linked to its natural resources endowment. The “Africa rising” narrative seeks to capture the huge growth potential of the continent. There is ample evidence to suggest that one of Africa’s growth drivers has been a commodity super cycle that powered the economies of especially resource-rich countries. Structural change is mainly important because the global division of labour has caused African economies to lag behind other country groups by remaining dependent on primary product exports. A post-structuralist view of African development is important because the current forms of depiction breed both misperception and uncalled for exuberance. Africa is a continent with some of the best opportunities for high investment returns and rapid yet sustainable socio-economic development.