ABSTRACT
Africa’s struggle to find space in the global economy has become more complex in the context of globalisation, which drives the global economy. Africa has struggled to find its space in the global economy for many decades, with limited success. In spite of the intermittent growth that has been experienced on the continent, Africa remains the worst performing among all the continents. Neoliberal policies and a commitment to a common market were marketed as having the capacity to turn around the economic situation and competitiveness of African economies. Post-independence disruptions to African economies mainly began in 1989 with the implementation of the Washington Consensus neoliberal policy reforms directed at developing countries. A number of African countries have been part of the global partnerships engaged in designing strategies for ensuring effective development cooperation, albeit they are weak partners. Africa’s economy has attracted global attention since the colonial period, during which Africa’s resources were plundered for the development of northern economies.
