2011 Africa Progress Report released

9 May 2011

CAPE TOWN: Africa's economic recovery is strong but characterised by 'low quality' growth, according to a new report from the Africa Progress Panel launched at the World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town, South Africa late last week. The Africa Progress Report 2011 reviews the continent's progress over the past year, and looks at the year ahead to identify key trends, opportunities and obstacles.

The report focuses heavily on the transformative power of partnerships to drive sustained social and economic development. It highlights that African economies have experienced comparatively swift and broad recoveries from the global financial and economic crises, leading to an anticipated continental growth of 5.5% in 2011 and 5.8% in 2012.

However, the report warns that the 'low quality' of this growth could threaten its sustainability and is undermining the continent's development chances.

The report highlights that:

African growth is heavily dependent on the export of primary, generally unprocessed commodities.
Non-extractive sectors and manufacturing industries remain heavily under-developed in most African countries.
Trade between African countries remains too limited - less than 10% of total trade - to offer sufficient alternative incentives for economic diversification.
The current type of economic growth has only limited positive impacts on employment and income levels and is not sufficiently translated into poverty reduction and the provision of vital public services.

In its forward-looking section, the report underscores the potential of partnerships harnessing a broad range of actors and their capacities, resources, and expertise to deliver social and economic development across the continent. It highlights a growing number of highly successful models that are helping to mobilise resources, improve efficiencies, and extend access to goods, services and opportunities across Africa.

Speaking at the launch, the chair of the Africa Progress Panel Kofi Annan said: "The importance of partnerships for development is becoming more and more evident. We know of many partnerships in Africa that work and change people's lives, but not enough of them are replicated or brought to scale. This report highlights the significant impact of successful partnerships and outlines tangible steps to initiate, strengthen, replicate and expand such models."

The report urges African governments, international donors, businesses and civil society actors to help spread successful partnership models across the continent. Harnessing the energy, creativity and resources of public, private and third-sector parties will be vital to speeding development in Africa, it argues.