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Africa’s Development Narratives: From Growth to Wellbeing

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The Palgrave Handbook of African Politics, Governance and Development

Abstract

This chapter reviews competing narratives about Africa’s development trajectory since the early 2000s. After outlining the continent’s traditional positioning in relation to global economic processes, the chapter discusses data and trends in the “Africa rising” debate which has been prevalent since the early twenty-first century. The chapter then moves on to alternative narratives focused on ecological economics, post-growth and radical transformation. It argues that the narrative on “Africa rising” is based on the false premise of measuring economic performance by gross domestic product, which is a flawed indicator of prosperity and progress either in the short or the long run. Consequently, there is a need for a fundamental shift in economic thinking and policy.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

    Lorenzo Fioramonti

Authors
  1. Lorenzo Fioramonti
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute, University of South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Samuel Ojo Oloruntoba

  2. Department of History, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA

    Toyin Falola

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© 2018 The Author(s)

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Fioramonti, L. (2018). Africa’s Development Narratives: From Growth to Wellbeing. In: Oloruntoba, S., Falola, T. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of African Politics, Governance and Development. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95232-8_45

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