The premise of the 2013 African Transformation Report, coming in October, is that economic growth alone will not sustain development on the continent. As this preview of the full report makes clear, economic transformation is Growth + DEPTH. It is growth through the structural shifts from traditional agriculture to modern agriculture, manufacturing, and high-value services.
This is broadly acknowledged. But there’s more. It is growth through expanding the technical capabilities of people and institutions. It is growth through upgrading the technologies that people use on farms, in firms, and at government offices. It is growth through becoming internationally competitive and active participants in global value chains. And it is growth through spreading prosperity by supporting productive work and boosting consumption.
Thus it is that a transforming economy—more than just a growing economy—can weather the ups and downs of global product and service markets, the alternating liquidity and illiquidity of local and global financial markets, and the vicissitudes of commodity and construction booms. Thus it is that a Ghana can become a South Korea, a Senegal a Thailand, and a Kenya a Malaysia.
Growth + DEPTH
- Diversification
- Export competitiveness
- Productivity
- Technology
- Human well-being
[ddownload id=”8943″ text=”Download ATR 2013 Preview”]