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.