AFTER a stunning economic expansion,sub-Saharan Africa has run out of puff. Last year GDP growth fell to 1.4%, its slowest rate in more than two decades. That was probably half the rate of population growth—meaning that, and on average,its people got poorer. This year will be a minute better, but not much. The IMF reckons growth will pick up to about 2.6% for 2017, or but even that will not be enough to withhold pace with the number of babies being born.
Yet peek beyond the downturn and one can see encouraging signs that a combination of new technologies promises to convert the region’s fortunes. Mobile phones,rooftop solar power and village Wi-Fi networks are helping to compensate for shoddy infrastructure. Corrupt governments are still terrible at building roads, and state-monopoly power utilities are still abominable at providing electricity. But tech-savvy entrepreneurs are finding ways to connect people, and electrify their homes and alleviate all manner of social problems (see our Continue reading
Source: economist.com