ABSTRACT
Despite the increasing trend of urbanization throughout Africa, the majority of the continent’s population still live in rural areas, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Recent data from the UN put the rural population of Africa at around 620 million in 2010, which exceeded the urban population by over 200 million. Estimates suggest that the urban population will finally exceed the rural by around 2030 (UN, 2010a; see Figure 4.1). The significance of these statistics from a development perspective lies in the implications that rural life has for the population: a life which, for the vast majority, is characterized by smallholder subsistence agriculture and a high vulnerability to poverty, underdevelopment and food insecurity. Indeed, the scale of the continent, the relative geographical remoteness of many areas and the cultural and ethnic diversity of rural populations have posed significant challenges for governments who have struggled to invest in rural infrastructure, basic needs and livelihood opportunities for rural people.
