ABSTRACT
Most debates on Africa’s economic growth and development experiences have focused on what some analysts are now referring to as the ‘old Africa’ (Rotberg, 2013 ); the Africa of erratic economic growth, low investment, negative global perception, life presidents, pervasive hopelessness, low self-con dence; the Africa of the ‘Big Men’, marginalised with poor future prospects. According to some analysts the ‘old’ Africa is now two decades behind us; what we are seeing today is the “new Africa”, breaking “from the past and the beginnings of a wide-ranging economic, political and development turnaround dating back to the mid-1990s” (Radelet, 2010a : 13). While there have been controversies about the time when the alleged “new Africa” emerged, a popular narrative of an Africa that has turned a corner has imposed itself in international media and scholarly literature alike, especially post-2008-2009 global nancial and economic crisis. Different commentators and observers are convinced that “Africa is at an auspicious moment in history” (AfDB/WEF, 2013 : v); that it is “launching itself at full speed” like a meteor (Severino and Ray, 2011 : 2).
