The Fastest Billion

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fastestbillion@rencap.com
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About the fastest billion

From the vantage point of many in the West, Africa remains a continent of woe – a place stalked by ethnic conflict, corrupt dictatorships, religious strife, war and famine.

But today, at last, the flawed mythology that treats Africa as a homogenous disaster area is being challenged by investors, economists, fund managers and academics. Age is not often associated with speed; but Africa, the cradle of civilisation, now has more of the world’s fastest-growing economies than any other. After a generation of relative stagnation in the late 20th Century, many in Africa have begun the long-awaited period of catch-up with the developed world. The bottom billion is becoming the fastest billion.

This book, the work of a group of African economists and highly respected analysts from Renaissance Capital, the leading emerging markets investment bank, aims to accelerate the world’s realisation that Africa has no intention of allowing the coming decades to add up to an “Asian Century”. Africa’s day has arrived.

TED Talk: Charles Robertson on Africa’s economic boom

The past decade has seen slow and steady economic growth across the continent of Africa. But economist Charles Robertson has a bold thesis: Africa's about to boom. He talks through a few of the indicators -- from rising education levels to expanded global investment (and not just from China) -- that lead him to predict rapid growth for a billion people, sooner than you may think.

2013-10-01

A Renaissance view on investing in Africa

Charles Robertson explains how to play the risky, but rewarding African continent.

2013-01-21

Sorry, but Africa's rise is real

Africa growth skeptics have got it wrong, and the continent's rise is very real, Charles Robertson and Michael Moran write in an opinion piece. The Fastest Billion: The Story Behind Africa's Economic Revolution endeavors to show that sub-Saharan Africa will make impressive advances in living standards, economic performance, health, education, and governance over the next thirty years.

2013-01-11

Is this Africa's time in the global economy?

Markus Karlsson speaks to Charles Robertson, the lead author of The Fastest Billion, who says the answer to that question is resounding "yes".

2013-01-09

Africa's GDP: USD29trn by 2050?

A billion Africans are on the move as the continent's economy is set to soar to USD29-trillion by 2050, from a mere USD2-trillion today.

2013-01-08

CCTV (Kenya)

Charles Robertson, Chief Global Economist, Renaissance Capital, launches a book 'Fastest Billion' that projects Africa's economy.

2012-11-15

KTN (Kenya)

The Sub-Saharan economy is poised by to be bigger than the current levels of China and the United States in the next four decades, according to a new publication by Renaissance Capital.

2012-11-15

NTV (Kenya)

Kenya is expected to become global economic power house to fulfil Vision 2030, Renaissance Capital predicts.

2012-11-15

Charles Robertson talks about the Fastest Billion and Africa growth on BBC Newsday

Charles Robertson, Global Chief Economist at Renaissance Capital, is interviewed by Lawrence Pollard and Paulina Nahuala on BBC’s Newsday on the similarities of Africa’s boom to that of India in the 1990s, showing where Africa’s economy is heading in the next 20-40 years.

2012-10-31

Guest post: Africa, following in Asia’s footsteps

Many do know that Kenya leads the world in mobile banking and that half a billion sim card sales in seven years have created a communications revolution across Africa.

2012-10-25

COLUMN-Africa: the next economic tiger?
-Chrystia Freeland

Oct 18 (Reuters) - If you are looking for some good cheer in a pretty gloomy world, consider the growing consensus among some of the world's smartest money that the next big emerging market may be Africa.

2012-10-18

As the Rest of the World Slows, Africa Accelerates

NEW YORK — If you are looking for some good cheer in a pretty gloomy world, consider the growing consensus among some of the world’s smartest money that the next big emerging market may be Africa.

2012-10-18

Robertson on Africa's Untold Economic Story

Charles Robertson, global chief economist of Renaissance Capital ltd, discusses the investment opportunities Africa offers. He spoke on Bloomberg Television's "City Central" on October 15.

2012-07-17

A happy future for the “doomed continent”?

The International Monetary Fund this week painted yet another gloomy picture, cutting its 2012 forecast for Africa along with most other countries around the world.

2012-10-12

Africa is ready to roar as a global economic giant

AFRICA is set to be the fastest growing continent in coming decades

2012-10-07

TED Talk: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: Want to help Africa? Do business here

We know the negative images of Africa -- famine and disease, conflict and corruption. But, says Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, there's another, less-told story happening in many African nations: one of reform, economic growth and business opportunity.

2007-05-01