ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the origins and nature of the economic crisis in Africa and the policy framework giving rise to it, drawing on Southern African country examples to illuminate and illustrate the analytical perspective. It provides one analytical perspective on the economic crisis in Africa. The chapter also provides considerable detail on the economic decline and human setbacks which have gripped most of the African countries and which present a considerable development challenge for those countries as they approach the 21st century. The majority of African countries are experiencing a serious economic crisis. Contributing to poverty, in relationship to population growth, is the dismal economic performance of most of the African countries when measured in terms of national income accounts. The economic crisis in Africa emerged in the 1970s following on the achievement of independence in most of the countries in the 1960s.
