A Paradox of Poverty & Promise of Plenty | Adrian Saville | TEDxRiversandsBlvd

14 Mar 2024 (9 months ago)
A Paradox of Poverty & Promise of Plenty | Adrian Saville | TEDxRiversandsBlvd

Africa's Narrative

  • Africa's richness is measured by episodes of discovery and enslavement, while its poverty is marked by windfall and disaster.
  • The first problem with the narrative of Africa is that it is often presented as a single story, ignoring the continent's immense diversity.
  • The second challenge is the lack of information and knowledge about Africa, leading to misconceptions and misunderstandings.

Factors for Economic Transition

  • The speaker's work focuses on identifying the factors that contribute to a country's transition from poverty to prosperity.
  • Six key factors are identified: savings, demographic structure, healthcare, education, openness, and policy stability.

Examples of Successful Transformation

  • Costa Rica is presented as an example of a country that successfully transitioned from poverty to prosperity within 15 years by implementing these factors.
  • Rwanda and Ethiopia are examples of countries that have achieved rapid economic growth in recent years.

Turning Ideas into Action

  • To achieve transformation and transition, ideas need to be turned into operationalizable business models.
  • Examples of successful business models in Africa include What3Words, which maps the entire world using three-word markers, and Spark Schools, which provides private school outcomes at public school prices.
  • Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's 150-day plan in Liberia is an example of effective delivery and implementation.
  • The Center for African Management and Markets has access to valuable data from Visa and DHL, which is used to identify economic trends and opportunities.
  • The Root to Market initiative helps businesses with business ideas find business partners and access investment.

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