Africa has the capacity to support progress toward sustainable development, and local philanthropy must become part of the development and humanitarian landscape.
The continent is getting richer. From startups to manufacturing, Africa is seeing a surge in private investment — and a corresponding expansion of personal wealth. Combined with rising rates of higher-education enrollment, a new generation of entrepreneurs harnessing technology, and the world’s youngest population, Africa’s growing affluence could help move hundreds of millions of people out of poverty in the coming decade.
Yet this burgeoning prosperity is overshadowed by a spate of government debt crises and cuts in international aid that together have reduced funding for essential health care, education, and infrastructure — the bedrock for transformational economic development. Local philanthropy can help plug the gap.