Africa in Transformation

“Lopes brings his rigour, insight, and experience to this timely new book, presenting a compelling rethink of traditional development models in Africa and the need to seize on transformational change to build a sustainable future for the continent."
—Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary General

 “Some readers will enjoy Lopes’ eclectic brilliance and breath-taking culture. Others will salute his ability to bring compelling new angles to every topic. Everyone will be impressed with his craftsmanship, his rich and multi-faceted approach to development, and his high ethical standards. It is impossible to read this jewel book and not feel smarter.”
—Célestin Monga, African Development Bank’s Vice President and Chief Economist 

“Drawing on his distinguished academic career, policy experience at the highest level, and deep love of the continent, Lopes provides a visionary analysis of Africa's current problems and future prospects. This book provides a highly unusual combination of intellectualism and hard-nosed pragmatism. A singular achievement.”
—Ha-Joon Chang, University of Cambridge, UK

“Thorough, thought-provoking, and beyond rhetoric: definitely a must-read for anyone who wants to understand Africa’s present and future.”
—Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs, Sciences Po, France

Lopes delivers an overview of the critical development issues facing the African continent today. He offers readers a blueprint of policies to address issues, and an intense, heartfelt meditation on the meaning of economic development in the age of democratic doubts, identity crises, global fears and threatening issues of sustainability.

“Lopes brings his rigour, insight, and experience to this timely new book, presenting a compelling rethink of traditional development models in Africa and the need to seize on transformational change to build a sustainable future for the continent.” (Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary General, USA)

“Carlos Lopes is one of those rare characters who can combine intellectual excellence with strategic vision and still engage in policy making. In this book, readers will find an overview of Africa’s profound transformation, interpreting changes ranging from traditional industries, to agro-businesses, to new advances in information and communication technology-based services and tourism. Lopes argues that Africa needs a clear inclusive growth strategy, supported by better institutions, regional synergies, and infrastructure to enable a leap forward. The complex politics involved in coordinating 54 countries within a continent indicates there will be no real prosperity without full commitment to diversity. Despite its tremendous economic potential, it remains critical to ensure that Africa's fast economic growth leaves less, not more, poor people behind, reversing past decades of under-performance. This essential book teaches that a prosperous Africa is not only good for Africans, but for the entire world.” (Glauco Arbix, University of São Paulo, Brazil)

“Carlos Lopes is an economist with vast experience on Capacity Development, Political Affairs and Strategic Planning, with a background in academic and public sector institutions. He provides a good overview of the complexity of observed transitions in the continent, providing insights on the acceleration of industrialization as a key aspect of Africa’s development transformation. In an easy and well managed use of playful metaphors, the ‘sea’ theme Lopes uses provides the reader with authentic navigation tools to identify what can be done to transform Africa. This book is in the must-read category for any student, scholar, practitioner and policymaker working on Africa.” (Alexandra A. Arkhangelskaya, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia)

“Africa is undergoing unprecedented changes and Carlos Lopes is the best person in the world to make sense of them all. His years of professional experience on the Continent combined with his deep intellectual knowledge have led leaders from across the world to seek his counsel. With Africa in Transformation Lopes makes his vast knowledge and keen insights available to everyone. This book is both a generous gift and a necessary tool for anyone seeking to understand Africa.” (Reuben Brigetty II, George Washington University, USA and Council on Foreign Relations, USA)

“Drawing on his distinguished academic career, policy experience at the highest level, and deep love of the continent, Lopes provides a visionary analysis of Africa's current problems and future prospects. This book provides a highly unusual combination of intellectualism and hard-nosed pragmatism. A singular achievement.” (Ha-Joon Chang, University of Cambridge, UK)

“Thorough, thought-provoking, and beyond rhetoric: definitely a must-read for anyone who wants to understand Africa’s present and future.” (Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs, Sciences Po, France)

“Some readers will enjoy Lopes’ eclectic brilliance and breath-taking culture. Others will salute his ability to bring compelling new angles to every topic. Everyone will be impressed with his craftsmanship, his rich and multi-faceted approach to development, and his high ethical standards. It is impossible to read this jewel book and not feel smarter.” (Célestin Monga, African Development Bank’s Vice President and Chief Economist, Cameroon)

“Africa in Transformation engages several African mega narratives and stitches together rich reflections on Africa’s resilience and brazen self-renewal. Carlos Lopes interrogates the anatomy of the African experience in a methodical analysis uniting economic history and literary interludes to come to grips with the making of the current debates on the ‘Africa rising’ narrative. He does this in ten thought-through chapters linking the past and present, where structural economic transformation, climate change and the comparative political economy of late industrialization, particularly in China, take a centre stage. Below the surface is a people-centred book that energises the ethos of a binding social contract within and across states for the common good. Brilliantly counterintuitive, a must-read for everyone who cares about Africa’s past, present and future.” (Mohamed Salih, Erasmus University, the Netherlands)

“Africa has been so plagued and misrepresented by externally generated global descriptions and evaluations that it is hard to imagine an African scholar, even with the brilliant credentials of Carlos Lopes, capable of offering us today a synthesis, at one time rigorous and just, of the immense diversity of the continent. In this case, reality has proven stronger than imagination.  Such a daunting task has been accomplished by the author so successfully and with so much wisdom and subtlety that this book is must read for any scholar, diplomat or policy maker concerned with Africa.” (Boaventura Sousa Santos, University of Coimbra, Portugal and University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA)

“This is a magnificent book by Professor Carlos Lopes. Eloquently and succinctly Lopes describes the pathways for Africa's future economic transformation, pushing aside the old 'Africa Rising' or 'basket case' narrative, and providing nuance and insight in what is occurring in a continent of 54 countries. As Africa progresses with its Continental Free Trade Area this is a must read for international policy makers, academics and business people. Carlos Lopes describes how Africa's economic future will impact us all and why we all have a stake in ensuring success.” (Alex Vines OBE, Chatham House, UK and Coventry University, UK)

Carlos Lopes is Professor at Mandela School of Public Governance at the University of Cape Town, South Africa and Visiting Professor at Sciences Po in Paris, France.