Africa in the Modern Model of the World Order: a Powerful Player or an Outsider?

Abstract

The article analyses the transfiguration of Africa’s position in the emerging new model of world economic development. The author emphasizes that until recently Africa was assigned the role of an “outsider” of the world economy. The transition of developed countries to a postindustrial and innovative development model has further exacerbated the lagging behind of the countries of the region from the advanced directions of the economy. Other negative factors that affected the development of African economies in the second decade of the 21st century include the high dependence of the African economy on commodity exports, the slowdown in China’s growth, the socio-economic consequences of the so-called “Arab spring”, primarily the destruction of Libya, and the continuation of old and the emergence of new conflicts in a number of African states. Despite numerous and often successful attempts by external forces to keep Africa as an object within the world economy and politics, the continent is increasingly becoming an active “subject” in international relations, and its development in the coming decades may, in our view, change its position in a new model of world development. Beginning in the 2030s, Africa, according to the forecasts, including those made at the Institute of African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, will turn into the most important and almost unique global strategic reserve of sources of raw materials within the framework of the “Coming (New) Production Revolution” – NPR, Next (in other documents New) Production Revolution. The African continent today occupies the leading positions in the world precisely for those commodities that have no analogues and are vital for the development of defense and innovative technologies of the 21st century. Other important factors in the accelerated development of Africa are the quantitative and qualitative growth of the continent’s labor potential, the expansion of consumption in the African domestic markets, the economic diversification in a number countries of the continent by means of increasing the share of services and industry in GDP, and a significant improvement in the business climate as a result of improved investment legislation and the gradual stabilization of domestic political of the situation. Besides the increase in financial revenues in various forms, regional integration, (including a continental free trade zone), will be a key to accelerating economic growth in the African continent, whichwill allow for joint and more effective use of the potentials of individual African states.  Modern Africa is a dynamically growing market of labor force, consumer goods, investment, modern technologies, high technology machinery products. The author anticipates in the foreseeable future the realization of a scenario of gradual evolvement of a joined pan-African pole of global significance.