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McKinsey Featured Articles

The rise of the African consumer
The single-largest business opportunity in Africa will be its rising consumer market. A McKinsey report, one of the first of its kind, offers

a detailed profile of African consumers, including their demographics, behavior, and needs. read more

Africa at Work: August 2012
Africa is the world’s second-fastest-growing region.

Poverty is falling, and around 90 million of its households have joined the world’s consuming classes—an increase of 31 million in just over a decade. But a new McKinsey Global Institute report, Africa at work: Job creation and inclusive growth, shows that the continent must create wage-paying jobs more quickly to sustain these successes and ensure that growth benefits the majority of its people. read more

Four Lessons for Transforming African Agriculture
To succeed, African countries must narrow their focus and target high-impact projects.

African agriculture is at a turning point, and a long-awaited “green revolution” may be within reach. Many of the continent’s governments are adopting market-friendly policies and committing more resources to the sector. Traditional big-donor countries are increasing their expenditures on agriculture, while China and Brazil are also beginning to contribute to the effort. African’s agriculture’s private-sector investment is rising rapidly. read more

The case for investing in Africa
The continent is now growing much more rapidly than the OECD nations. It may well be on the cusp of a reversal of fortunes.

Most international businesses are still not very aware of Africa’s investment opportunities. Information costs are high: Africa is fragmented into many different countries, and even in aggregate the continent is a fairly small economy. For several decades, investor ignorance did not matter: with few exceptions Africa’s economies were too badly run for there to be many opportunities for firms of integrity. But there has been a sea change—Africa is on the move. There will be ups and downs, but investors from the countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) who remain set in their ways may be missing a giant business opportunity if they fail to pay attention to the changes afoot. read more

Extreme climate conditions: How Africa can adapt
Africa’s climate already poses grave risks to the continent’s people and economies, and global warming promises to intensify the problem. A factual risk-management solution can help.

Delta Stories, Otobong Nkanga

Even before global warming became an issue, many African countries were unusually vulnerable to floods, droughts, and heat waves. Indeed, if there were to be no further change in Africa’s climate, its current state already presents grave risks to the continent’s people and economies. Global warming could trigger more frequent and severe weather disasters, shifts in rainfall patterns and climate zones, and rising sea levels. read more

McKinsey & Company is a leading global consulting firm. Through the business journal McKinsey Quarterly, articles written by McKinsey consultants offer practical ideas and far-reaching analyses on global trends and challenges facing companies, governments, and society.

McKinsey Quarterly has recently undertaken an in-depth look into the promises, opportunities, and challenges that lay ahead for Africa. Africa.com is proud to offer over 20 articles, as well as videos and interviews from McKinsey Quarterly.

Interactive: Checking Africa's Vital Signs

McKinsey Featured Video

Inside maternal health in Namibia: An inside look

More Videos and Interviews from McKinsey Quarterly

Africa's Growth Story

Can Africa continue to grow?
A panel of regional business leaders discusses its prospects. read more

Checking Africa’s vital signs
A familiarity with Africa’s demographics, economics, and business climate is essential to considering future trajectories of growth. read more

What’s driving Africa’s growth
The rate of return on foreign investment is higher in Africa than in any other developing region. Global executives and investors must pay heed. read more

Africa’s path to growth: Sector by sector
The continent’s growth story isn’t entirely about the extractive industries. Seven articles examine the future of a wide range of sectors. read more

Fulfilling the promise of sub-Saharan Africa
The region has already made big strides below the radar. It now stands to become the developing world’s next great success story. read more

A seismic shift in South Africa’s consumer landscape
McKinsey research underlines both the distinctiveness of black shoppers’ needs and the distance retailers must still go to serve them. read more

Picking products for Africa’s growing consumer markets
The rapid expansion of Africa’s consumer class should convince companies to consider entering a region that many have avoided in the past. read more

El Anatsui

Doing Business in Africa

Making the most of Chinese aid to Africa
It’s time to move beyond sterile arguments and accept China’s role in Africa. But it’s also time for China to enhance that role. read more

The China – Africa business connection: An interview with the CEO of Standard Bank
Jacko Maree describes his experiences working with a Chinese investor—the giant Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. read more

Assessing Africa’s business future: An interview with the CEO of Absa
The CEO of one of South Africa’s largest financial-services companies discusses the state of business in Africa. read more

Capturing Africa’s business opportunity
In the aftermath of the global crisis, Africa no longer seems uniquely risky. The opportunities are huge. read more

Toward a well-governed Africa
A democratic, prosperous, and peaceful Africa is now within sight. read more

Nnenna Okore

Improving Lives in Africa

Three practical steps to better health for Africans
A new model to make care more accessible to Africa’s people is not only possible but affordable. read more

Closing the R&D gap in African health care
A system governed by Africans in Africa is needed to provide a sustainable funding mechanism that would encourage African scientists to collaborate on common health concerns, share expertise, and build capacity. read more

Saving mothers’ lives in Namibia
Namibia’s ongoing efforts offer lessons for other countries seeking to improve maternal health, as well as for health programs tackling HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, or other conditions. read more

Strengthening sub-Saharan Africa’s health systems: A practical approach
Systemwide barriers impede health care delivery in the region. A comprehensive approach that strengthens key elements of national health systems is required to save lives. read more

Confronting South Africa’s water challenge
South Africa faces a growing gap between water supply and demand. The most effective solutions will cater to the specific agricultural, industrial, and domestic needs of the country’s different basins. read more

Helping Africans to jump-start their industries
A nonprofit’s work in Mozambique and other developing countries shows how businesses there can break the cycle of poverty. read more

South Africa in the spotlight: An interview with Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe
The ANC veteran discusses the state of the South African economy, the country’s progress in fighting HIV/AIDS, China’s role on the continent, and the important part that values have to play in the business world. read more