The Rise of the Middle Class in Africa - Special Academic Support

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Africa has been going through not the easiest times right now. Many modern politicians and the public put their expectations for the improvement of the situation on the risen middle-class. African society has high hopes for this new tendency which may promise a better future. It expects a more developed economy, the reduction of poverty, and many more innovations in the economic and social spheres of the countries. However, the situation might not be as bright as it seems, and the increase in the number of people belonging to the middle class might eventually not even be closely equal to the continents progress. Therefore this policy proposal aims to assume changes in Africa if the growth of the middle-class continues and suggests a solution that would benefit the majority of the middle class represented by youth.

Although the idea of the new solid middle class that will solve all the issues sounds inspiring, the reality is far from it. Despite its appearance, Africa still lacks a decent number of available jobs, equal distribution of goods and financiers, along with safety and security (Obonyo). Historically, the middle-class has always been on the lead instead of the leading layer of society that rarely questioned the current political situation and tried to create drastic changes (Kroeker). While from the economic point of view, it can look instead promising the majority of Africans population that falls into the category between the poor and the rich remains on the edge of poorness (Sylla). Before the hit of Coronavirus, Africa seemed to reach economic stability, social protection, higher salaries, and overall population enrichment. However, in the end, it turned to be only some sort of marketing campaign to attract foreign investors and entrepreneurs to put their resources into the African countries (Akinkugbe 99). When the potential partners eventually realized that this was far from the truth, they refused to cooperate and avoided putting their efforts into Africa.

Nevertheless, finances are still appearing in the continent, and the reason for this is the economic transactions. Relatives of many African people went abroad for work and provided them with money for a living (Southall Whats missing? Reflections on the debate on the middle class(es) in Africa. 8). Those many eventually help fight poverty, but it does not solve the real problem with the low incomes and the high unemployment rates. Moreover, Africa tends to stimulate economic growth that would only be beneficial for the wealthy population.

Though, as a counterargument, the changes, especially on such a significant scale, take much time and cannot happen as soon as is expected. It is true indeed, but the most crucial point is to define whether there is a possibility and appropriate conditions for the progress. Since the situation with the pandemic is more unpredictable than in recent decades, it is impossible to even slightly predict the outcome of the rise of the middle class. Moreover, the current position is relatively unstable, and it is a real struggle for countries and their governments, especially some African parts that are not so well-developed, to keep and maintain what already exists.

Africa needs to develop an economic model that would focus on the salvation of the most crucial and urgent problems on the continent at the moment. The most crucial points are to reduce the unemployment, create reserves in case of urgent situations to help people to keep living and maintain their stability is something unpredictable will happen (Southall (Middle-) Class analysis in Africa: does it work?. 471). The Africa youth remains the majority of the population, and even despite some difficulties and unsatisfying conditions, they have all the power to transform African society. To achieve outstanding results in the development of the continents, there are three aspects that the government should consider working on employment, education, and health.

Also, it is crucial to mention that the policies should be inclusive and cover the interests of marginalized young people, women, refugees, and youth with disabilities (African Union).In order to drive the economy further to progress, young people should have an opportunity to work in decent, well-paid jobs and even start their businesses so the economy can flourish. However, it is easy since the job market requires professional experience, training, and special skills. The government should focus on developing and implementing training programs on existing jobs and expand the borders for the young people by creating new positions for them to work. These measures will eventually stimulate the productivity and economic growth of the continent in the long run.

Nevertheless, even the best training and programs cannot replace quality education. To have a foundation for career and entrepreneur opportunities, the African youth should have access to education at schools and other educational institutions. In the regions where there are possibilities for studying, the massive amount of it does not have enough professors, outdated information, and the program that does not meet the required needs of the market (Datta 924). Therefore, the government might change the old tools with modern equipment and revise the curriculum and teaching methods to make the study process more effective and productive.

Another change that will benefit the future of Africa is the policy to evolve the healthcare system. Due to some missing spots in the education and open discussion about sex education, phycological well-being, and measures of protection, young people can get dangerous diseases and threats to their health (Good Practices in South-South and Triangular Cooperation: Scaling up Made-in-Africa Solutions). Moreover, the importance of mental health is becoming unstigmatized and opens the possibilities for young people to become more self-aware. The whole development is impossible without the satisfying amount of overall care about the well-being physical and phycological. Having solid health and a clear realization of how to manage the stress and prevent burnout while working achieve the goals will let people build their careers successfully.

In conclusion, the current picture of the rise of the middle class is quite a dar from the promising image that the African counties are trying to promote. The number of people considered middle class has grown, but they are still on the edge of poorness and struggle with the weak economy during the pandemic. Nevertheless, the African youth still can provide the continent with a more perspective future and contribute to the development of the economy. To achieve this, policymakers should reconstruct the initial professional, educational, and healthcare systems to stimulate and strengthen this generations ability.

Works Cited

Akinkugbe, Oluyele, and Karl Wohlmuth. Middle-Class Growth and Entrepreneurship Development in AfricaMeasurement, Causality, Interactions, and Policy Implications. Journal of European economy18, 1 (2019): 94-139.

Southall, Roger. Whats missing? Reflections on the debate on the middle class(es) in Africa. Transformation: Critical Perspectives on Southern Africa, vol. 96, 2018, p. 1-24. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/trn.2018.0000.

. (Middle-) Class analysis in Africa: does it work? Review of African Political Economy 45.157 (2018): 467-477.

Kroeker, Lena, David OKane, and Tabea Scharrer, eds. Middle Classes in Africa: changing lives and conceptual challenges. Springer, 2018.

Good Practices in South-South and Triangular Cooperation: Scaling up Made-in-Africa Solutions. United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation. 14 Sep. 2021.

Sylla, Ndongo Samba. Why Africa lacks a robust middle class. Development and Cooperation. 2021.

African Union. Africas Future: Youth and the Data Defining their Lives. The African Union Commission (AUC), Department of Human Resources, Science and Technology, and the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) (2019).

Obonyo, Raphael. Young people can capably lead Africa into the future. Africa Renewal. 2019.

Datta, Niloy R., Susanne Rogers, and Stephan Bodis. Challenges and opportunities to realize The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations: Implications for radiation therapy infrastructure in low-and middle-income countries. (2019): 918-933.

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