Chad “Ndjamena Semiweekly” published a commentary on the recent Western media advocating that the emerging Africa had a calm analysis and pointed out that the revitalization of Africa not only depends on the mining and export of raw materials, but to vigorously develop the industrial manufacturing industry, promote the progress of science and technology. 

    Recently, British “Times” and “Economist” respectively published an article titled “Emerging Africa and Africa, who will become the next engine of world economy?” US “Foreign Policy”, for these two articles, said that this view is judged based on “foreign direct investment, especially on the rise of China’s investment to Africa’s mineral and oil fields, leap of Africa’s GDP growth rate, increase of per capita income (theoretically), robust rise of mobile phone users and phone banking, etc.” Besides, Times emphasized the rise of “African tourism and retailing” and Economist listed “the number of African billionaires”.

    Some standards adopted by these famous media to describe the emerging Africa are not the continental development indexes commonly used. From the first industrial revolution to Asia’s soaring development to “BRICs” (Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa and China), economic development has become a synonym of industrialization; the manufacturing industry is an industry that has a huge demand for labor and also the only industry that can provide a large number of case payments and stable jobs, alleviate poverty and reduce the social population pressure. Despite those people who defend the free trade and the theory of comparative advantage advocate that only the increase of GDP and trade volume represents development, Africa cannot exclude the permanent common sense of economy, i.e. the second industry is the real engine of economic development. It is recognized that the necessary industrialization and the agricultural development are not mutually exclusive. Africa has 60% of uncultivated land in the world and the extractive and service industries are quite important in the development of the African continent (although some people list the agriculture and the extractive industry as the sunset industries); only depending on these, Africa cannot really achieve development. 

    Two most ridiculous standards used by Times and Economist to describe the emerging Africa are the rise of mobile phone users and embourgeoisement of some Africans. We must reflect on the fact that poverty in Africa is still huge. Owing to privatization and “democratic” mechanism, many Africans even have only one meal a day and have difficulty in seeing a doctor, education and employment. Millions of young people want to leave Africa. The development of mineral products and oil accounts for a large part of Africa’s GDP, but only less than 1% of the population is employed. It is sure that everyone is very happy that many infrastructures (hospitals, schools, roads and public buildings) have been built in the African continent due to the growth of this area and the rise of raw material price in the world, but it has the limited effect on unemployment and wealth redistribution. 
     The boom of mobile phone users only creates a huge value and makes a lot of profits for multinational companies, and most of these profits are returned to the places where headquarters of these multinational company are. This is a revolution that is doomed to fail to bring any value added. Instead, it aggravates the structural deficit of Africa’s economy and has no help for industrialization, and at least it is so now. Mobile phone is a beautiful invention, which is very useful. We must admit that the mobile phone has also created jobs and even plays a role in the local trade, but it has overdrawn the poorest population’s purchase capacity that should be applied to food, health or education. As for billionaires, the success stories like Microsoft’s Bill Gate, Apple’s Steve Jobs or L'OREAL’s Bettencourt family business are few. These industrial giants, before becoming wealthy, created tens of thousands of jobs and a huge amount of wealth, while the vast majority of African billionaires neither have any inventions, nor create the economic activities that make the African continent truly get benefits, and they just harm others to benefit themselves. Therefore, the criteria used by these magazines cannot prove that Africa’s development has really set sail. The real development can only be achieved through the formulation and implementation of a more ambitious, more creative and industrial policy that can bring more opportunities for employment, so as to eliminate hundreds of millions of poor and unemployed people in the African continent.

    The following figures show that Africa is not an emerging economy. Some indices, such as the proportion of industry in GDP or the change of value added in the export manufacturing industry, can accurately outline the development of a continent. According to a report on comparing African and Asian development as recently published by the United Nations, the proportion of Africa’s value added in the export manufacturing industry in GDP declined to 10.5% in 2008 from 12.8% in 2000, while that of Asia increased to 35% from 22% in the same period. And the above 10.5% is mainly driven by low-tech products in South Africa, Egypt and Morocco. The report also points out that the share of Africa’s manufactured goods in the world trade is negligible, for it only increased to 1.3% in 2008 from 1% in 2000. We feel sorry that Africa is heavily dependent on the development of natural resources and the irregular fluctuations of international prices; lacking of economic diversity and having the very backward science and technology, Africa is also a country importing the manufactured products. A report from African Development Bank (BAD) comes to the same conclusion: Africa’s growth seems to focus on the limited raw materials and mining development; these fields only create fewer job opportunities and do not benefit most people. This is in sharp contrast to Asia where millions of people are out of poverty owing to the development of industrial fields that have a strong demand for labor. The report further emphasizes that the realization of overall growth means we not only rely on the mining and raw materials, but also expend the economic base.

To develop the second industry, the African continent requires the bold industrial policies and certain protectionist measures (even temporarily); needs a clear, safe, stable and commercially beneficial institutional arrangement (regulations, taxation, employment, loan and other aspects), which will attract more foreign direct investments, especially to the industrial areas; enables its local entrepreneurs to have confidence, so as to make a long-term investment to the productive sectors, surely provided that Africa has won the political stability and security. In order to fulfill such industrial policies, Africa has to overcome the following major obstacles: poor quality of telecommunications, shortage of electric power (provision of adequate and affordable energy), weak education resources (need to compensate for the huge technological gap) and low level of management (establishment of an effective training mechanism and cultivation of talents). A report from World Bank said that without good education, no Asian miracle would happen to Africa. Therefore, in order to overcome the above difficulties and help Africa develop its economy, there are three indispensable and essential elements to be mastered: technology, finance and manufacturing.

     The acquisition of technologies can depend on the cultivation of famous scientists and the establishment of important regional or continental research centers (basic and applied). In 2011, South Korea registered more inventions than Europe. Relying on policy innovation and substantial investment in the field of scientific research, and input of manpower and financial resources for 60 years after the war according to the leaders’ broad and long-term views, South Korea has become a country exporting the nuclear power stations, submarines and high speed railways and a leader in nanotechnology, not to mention with its high-tech products in the international market. Like Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, India and China, South Korea clearly recognizes that technological innovation is the key to economic success. As for Africa, in spite of the renewable energy (solar energy and wind energy) fields with great advantages, its application for clean energy technology patents in 2011 is less than 1% of the world’s total value. Let along that the western and Asian large laboratories are not interested; for patent registration of drugs used to prevent and treat the major tropical diseases (malaria, sleeping sickness, AIDS, Ebola disease, sickle cell anemia, onchocerciasis, etc.) that have killed millions of Africans, the African continent never involves it.

For financial control, we shall firstly realize the healthy, strict and intelligent management of public finance; secondly set up the financial institutions that can attract the household savings, absorb the diverse low-interest-rate loans, provide the credit facilities and allowances for scientific and technological innovation, promote the corporate development by means of concessional loans and/or participations;