Secret to turning Africa into the land of gold and honey it once was

Daily Maverick

25-05-2025

During US President Donald Trump's recent tour of the Gulf States – Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – I was reminded of two legendary African figures, Prester John and Mansa Musa. While Prester John was a fictitious character from medieval Europe, imagined as a powerful Christian king in Ethiopia, Mansa Musa was a real historical figure – the actual ruler of the Kingdom of Mali in the 14th century –known for his immense wealth.
The land of Prester John, believed to be in present-day Ethiopia, was described in glowing terms in a 14th-century map: 'In the woods of this Abassia, there is such a great quantity of honey that they do not bother to collect it. When winter arrives and the heavy rains wash these trees, the honey flows into nearby lakes, and, thanks to the sun's warmth, that water becomes like wine, which the people of the area drink instead of wine.'
An inscription on an unrelated 14th-century map depicting Mansa Musa echoed this sentiment: 'This Black Lord is called Musse Melly and is the sovereign of the land of the black people of Gineva (Ghana). This king is the richest and noblest of all these lands due to the abundance of gold extracted from his territory.'
These descriptions illustrate how Africa was perceived by the world in the 14th century. In stark contrast to today, where the continent is viewed as one of backwardness and underdevelopment – associated with wars, poverty – the real Third World. What has happened to the Abyssinia of Prester John? Where is the Mali of Mansa Musa? Where is the honey flowing in the rivers of Abyssinia? Where is the gold of Mali?
Countries in Asia, including the Gulf states, that have experienced a history similar to ours have demonstrated that it is possible for a nation to overcome underdevelopment. If approached correctly, this goal can be achieved within a generation, specifically within a span of 30 years.
History provides valuable lessons to learn from, but it should not become a prison where you confine yourself like a caged bird, spending your days, years and decades lamenting your situation and dwelling on the wrongs that others have committed against you.
Our friends in Asia have challenged four political economy assumptions that have constrained our thinking in Africa since independence.
First, the belief that we cannot overcome our colonial inheritance; that our neocolonial and dependent condition is permanent, leaving us doomed forever.
Second, the notion that no country can prosper and become an economic heavyweight without exploiting others.
Third, the idea that a country cannot escape its colonial legacy without significant financial support from an external benefactor.
Finally, the misconception that natural resources are a curse rather than a blessing; that they will bring wars, political instability and a cycle of coups – a belief that these resources will never truly belong to us but to foreigners.
We often attribute Africa's lack of progress since independence to several factors, many of which also apply to Asia. These factors include neocolonialism and the influence of former colonisers, civil wars, the impact of the Cold War and colonial partition. The only significant difference is the Atlantic slave trade, which affected our continent but not Asia.
The three Gulf States are unlikely candidates for success. They lack the regime types that Africa has been taught since independence are necessary for development. Additionally, they inherited a desert at the time of independence and do not have a manufacturing powerhouse like China. They also lack the military strength of Russia and the large population sizes of Brazil, India or China.
If they were to take an exam based on the textbook lessons Africa received since independence regarding development, they would fail miserably. Africa has been lectured on the dos and don'ts of becoming a prosperous continent. We were given prescriptions complete with indices, scorecards, and key performance indicators to guide us in creating successful nations. Our mentors came from outside our continent.
This experiment has failed. The Gulf States demonstrate that there is no magic wand to wave to achieve development, complete with roads and skyscrapers. There is no secret recipe known only to a select few that is passed down through generations. There is no hidden door leading to a wonderland like something out of a Hollywood movie. The answers to what a nation should do to prosper have always been in plain sight, right before our eyes.
The answer is: there's no better path to development and prosperity than the one that you must choose yourself. Your mentor is not a development expert from overseas with spectacles, carrying a laptop, but the lessons you must draw from history. Your textbook is in the pages of what history has taught you. Your prescription is simple: be authentic. Trust yourself. Listen to your inner voice.
Let's take the example of the UAE, our favourite shopping destination. When the country gained its independence from Britain in 1971, it had no infrastructure, just the surrounding desert. There was little vegetation, and the climate was characterised by scorching heat. The economy relied primarily on date farming and diving for pearls. At that time, the most dependable mode of transport was the camel.
In 1971, when the UAE became independent, most African countries had already achieved theirs, except for Portuguese colonies and a few nations in Southern Africa. This included all of North Africa and all former French colonies. Central Africa, comprising the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Burundi and the Central African Republic, was also independent, as was Sudan. Many of these countries were better endowed by nature than the UAE, which primarily benefited from its oil reserves.
Africa Month
The question that should concern us as Africans this Africa Month in 2025 is why a country like Sudan, which is 15 years older than the UAE, is still at war 69 years after its independence. Similarly, why is the DRC, 10 years older than the UAE, still facing conflict 60 years after gaining independence? It cannot be solely owing to natural resources, as the UAE has its oil. It also cannot be attributed to Western powers, because no Westerner is holding a gun on the streets of Goma or Khartoum, shooting at our people. It is us who are killing each other.
The gap between Africa and the three Gulf States has widened since independence, particularly over the past 30 years. It could widen even further unless Africa acts quickly. No African country has a trillion-dollar economy like Saudi Arabia, and none is in the top 10 globally. The largest economies are the US, China, Germany, Japan, India, the UK, France, Italy, Canada and Brazil, representing the Americas, Asia and Europe, but not Africa.
CNN reported in the build-up to Trump's Middle East tour: 'In March, the UAE announced a $1.4-trillion investment plan [in the US] over 10 years focused on AI, semiconductors, manufacturing and energy. Its existing US investments already total $1-trillion, according to its embassy in Washington.' No African country can match this.
In 2024, Africa's total gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated to be $2.8-trillion, representing the combined economic output of 1.4 billion people across its 54 countries. The combined GDP of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE is projected to be about $2.06-trillion by 2025, with a total population of about 47.3 million. To put this into perspective, these three countries, with a population of about 48 million, generate a GDP of more than $2-trillion. In contrast, Africa, with 1.4 billion people spread across 54 countries, produces a GDP of only $2.8-trillion.
Our race as black people is not the cause of our challenges. The two regions that have struggled after gaining independence are Latin America (descended from Spanish and Portuguese settlers) and Africa. It took Latin Americans more than 100 years after their independence to organise their countries effectively. In Africa, we are approaching 70 years since independence. One obstacle to the success of Latin America was the destructive interstate and intrastate wars fought among Spanish American nationalists.
We Africans have three problems. We don't believe in our agency. We are victims of continuous negative self-talk – a favourite pastime of some celebrity public intellectuals. And we are the ones who give Africa a bad name.
We have conditioned our subconscious to believe that we lack agency, viewing ourselves as mere victims of history, subject to the whims of powerful countries and the actions of influential transnational non-state actors. However, our friends in Asia have demonstrated that, regardless of colonial legacies, individuals and nations possess agency. The key question is: what do you do with that agency? Despite any neocolonial structures or geopolitical constraints that may hold you back, there is still room for manoeuvre. How can you best use it?
Our leaders have their agency but some of them use it differently: sometimes to resolve political differences with their adversaries through military means.
Understanding the principle emphasised by top-performing athletes is valuable: a game is not only won on the field but also in the mindset. A negative mindset often leads to persistent negative self-talk, a pattern we frequently master. Afro-pessimism is one example of this negative self-talk. If you want to hear negative perspectives about Africa, just spend time with some Africans. Our mindset, the names we use for ourselves and the negative things we say shape who we become.
A few factors can significantly affect countries. First, having a strong sense of history and a connection to historical continuity is crucial. Second, embracing ideas as a foundation for society's success and prosperity, along with a clear development philosophy, is essential. Third, the importance of strong institutions cannot be overstated. Finally, there should be an emphasis on excellence; practising meritocracy and striving for excellence in all endeavours is vital.
Finally, pay attention to leadership – the secret ingredient to the success of Asia. Leadership isn't about how leaders are dressed, but rather about their posture towards society.
When we examine leadership, we often focus too narrowly on its form and characteristics, overlooking two key components: 1. What leaders do when they hold state power, regardless of how they obtained that position – whether through election, heredity or a coup. Do they invest in building schools or do they misuse state resources for personal gain or to settle scores with their enemies? 2. How they relate to society and their own people. Do they oppress their citizens, look down on them, or do they serve them? Do they boast and show off that 'I have arrived'? DM