Can Africa prosper while stuck in a poverty mindset?
|Published
By Nomvuyo Bengane
As the world commemorates the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty - an observance celebrated annually across the world on October 17th – it is deeply concerning that Africa has the highest poverty rate in the world, despite all efforts to eliminate the scourge on the continent.
Eradicating extreme poverty for all people everywhere by 2030 is a pivotal goal of the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. To this effect, billions are being spent by well-meaning organisations and governments, developmental groups, corporations, and philanthropists across the world
In June 2023, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) released the 2023 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report titled Unstacking Global Poverty: Data for High-Impact Action. This comprehensive report, using pre-Covid-19 data from 110 developing countries, encompasses a population of 6.1 billion people. Notably, 25 countries have halved their MPI value within 15 years, and 72 countries have seen significant reductions, showcasing global efforts to combat poverty.
Despite these achievements, the battle against poverty remains daunting, especially in Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to half of the world's poorest population, with 10 million of the 12m people facing the highest deprivation scores. Even more concerning is that nearly 90% of children living in extreme poverty reside in either sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia. This stark reality highlights the region's extreme poverty and inequality, presenting a formidable challenge that requires sustained efforts and innovative solutions.
The Global MPI report reveals that some countries like Ethiopia and Rwanda have seen significant improvements in reducing poverty due to stable governance and focused development programmes. Other nations like South Sudan and the Central African Republic continue to struggle with high poverty rates exacerbated by conflict, environmental challenges, and economic turmoil.
In countries where poverty reduction has been successful, inclusive policies ensure equitable distribution of resources, accompanied by a concerted effort to involve communities in decision-making processes, ensuring that development initiatives are culturally relevant and locally accepted. This participatory approach fosters ownership and sustainability of poverty alleviation projects.
Despite such powerfully inclusive interventions, in 2024, 34 of the world's 49 poorest countries are in Africa. Could it be the slow pace of eradication of poverty in Africa is hampered by Africa's mindset? Could it be that through centuries of slavery, colonization, and apartheid, Africa is in the grips of a deeply entrenched stronghold - that of a poverty mindset?
If so, how do we turn the tide?
Understanding the poverty mindset
In my experience, when someone is trapped in a scarcity mindset it is easy to perceive that there are very limited opportunities available to them, that prosperity is beyond their reach – and perhaps most devastating and most crippling of all, that they deserve to be poor. We can inadvertently trap ourselves in an identity that doesn’t allow us to prosper. When we free ourselves from this state of mind, we make room for growth – mentally, emotionally, physically and financially – for ourselves, our families, and our community. We become powerful. But how to accomplish this?
Overcoming the poverty mindset
From my perspective, it starts with education. Not only educating ourselves on how the world works and how to reach for abundance but rather on self-awareness and mindfulness – because essentially the shift begins in the mind. Once we understand how we are limiting ourselves, we can take that first vital step towards achieving wealth. It could be as simple as adopting more empowering convictions about ourselves, to bring about a change in circumstances.
As someone who has walked the path of poverty to prosperity through entrepreneurship, I have witnessed first-hand the challenges and triumphs of building an abundance mindset for individuals and small businesses in Africa. I have also been privileged to experience how a shift in mindset can unlock a wave of innovation, growth, and affluence – not only for myself but for the people around me.
This is the principle upon which my concept - Afriternergy - is based. I experience Afriternergy as the ‘activated energy of Africa’ that has the potential to guide the trajectory of the continent from poverty to prosperity. It is applied by simply taking practical, actionable steps towards a future where Africa and Africans can live in the abundance that already exists in its rich minerals, diversity.
I sincerely hope that I am still around to witness such a transformation, but if I am not, I will be privileged to have been part of a movement that seeks affluence for the 1.5bn people who call this continent ‘home’ and the estimated 2.8bn who will be here in 2050. As we say in Africa, it takes a village to raise a child, and it is going to take many villages for this movement to gain traction – with countless organisations, societies, groups, governments, educators and leaders joining hands. One thing is certain, I cannot do this alone.
Nomvuyo Bengane is the founding director of BizOil Institute. he dedicates her energy and time to empowering entrepreneurs, organisations, and communities.
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