There are seven megatrends shaping the future of Africa. These include population growth, urbanization, climate change, democratization, protracted conflict, connectivity and geopolitical competition.
The sustainability of positive developments in Africa is somewhat tenuous and uneven. There are both prospects for peace and prosperity, as well as instability and insecurity across the vast and diverse continent.
The young population wants to have a say in the direction that the future takes, and this may affect the course of the continent’s developments, particularly vis-à-vis the development of democracy. There are possibilities for leapfrogging in some fields, as exemplified by digital connectivity.
