Good intentions are not enough for African development

The author argues that the Africa Commission must avoid the pitfalls of previous economic liberalisation efforts, which have often yielded disappointing results. To be effective, the commission should help African nations move beyond the vague goal of 'creating an enabling environment' and instead develop specific, country-by-country strategies based on actual investor needs and comparative advantages. The text highlights a critical lack of focus in regional bodies like SADC and Comesa, which maintain overly long lists of priorities, and notes a significant funding gap in the Nepad short-term action plan that must be filled by the private sector through public-private partnerships.

• Economic liberalisation and deregulation, largely accepted across Africa with exceptions like Zimbabwe, have frequently produced disappointing results and left regimes politically vulnerable.
• Liberalism alone has failed to attract the investment levels required for high growth rates, as private investment is hindered by low returns, limited absorptive capacity, and the difficulties of doing business in Africa.
• Regional economic communities in Africa suffer from a lack of focus, maintaining excessively long lists of priority projects that are often unfundable.
• There is a substantial funding gap for the Nepad short-term action plan; of the $8.1 billion required, only $650 million has been provided by the World Bank and African Development Bank, leaving a reliance on the private sector and a lack of public-private partnerships.
• To attract investment, African countries must shift from general reforms to specific, country-by-country strategies that align infrastructure and economic policy with the actual needs of investors and areas of comparative advantage.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2004). Good intentions are not enough for African development. https://saiia.org.za/research/good-intentions-not-enough-african-development/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Good intentions are not enough for African development. 2004. https://saiia.org.za/research/good-intentions-not-enough-african-development/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Good intentions are not enough for African development |date=27 September 2004 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/good-intentions-not-enough-african-development/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2004good, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Good intentions are not enough for African development}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2004}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/good-intentions-not-enough-african-development/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }