At the start of the 2020 health crisis, the forecasts for Africa were catastrophic. The World Health Organization predicted an apocalyptic scenario for the continent. However, the reality was quite different: Africa was one of the continents least affected by the crisis. Of course, the youth of its population played a mitigating role, but beyond the demographic statistics, it was its resilience, rooted in deep socio-cultural dynamics, that made the difference.
Far from being passive in the face of successive crises, Africa is reinventing itself and asserting its place on the international stage. One of the strong lessons of this period is the emergence of a new economic model based on joint ventures. Until now, multinationals have operated in Africa mainly through subsidiaries, replicating a top-down and often asymmetrical model. Today, a profound change is taking place: local companies are forming strategic partnerships with these international firms. Africa no longer sees itself as a simple consumer market or an area for relocation, but as a full-fledged player, a force for proposals and innovation.
In the book that we edited with Suzanne Marie Apitsa (Africa in transformation Issues and challenges of sustainable management in crisis contexts.Caen: EMS Éditions. “Business Science Institute”, 2024), we also highlight forms of resilience specific to the African environment, stemming in particular from local cultures and religions. The example of Morocco during the pandemic crisis bears witness to this: companies have found in religion a strong anchor for developing survival and resilience strategies. This phenomenon may surprise a European perspective, but in Africa, religion is not only an individual spiritual instrument: it is also a collective lever for coping with economic and social shocks.
Africa thus demonstrates that transformation does not occur solely through the standards imposed by Western economies. It follows its own dynamics, combining tradition and modernity, adaptation and innovation. Far from the clichés, Africa in transformation is an Africa that is shaping its own future. The challenge now is to fully recognize this dynamic and to stop considering the continent as a mere testing ground or a minor partner. For Africa, with its resilience and entrepreneurship, has already taken its rightful place: that of a full partner in global transformations.
For a long time, Africa was perceived through the prism of its weaknesses. However, with each crisis, it demonstrates a surprising resilience. The Covid-19 pandemic, which was expected to be a cataclysm, ultimately revealed an extraordinary capacity to adapt. Where some predicted collapse, Africa resisted. And even better, it innovated.
This ability to adapt is based on a twofold movement: a clear desire to stop being a simple recipient of aid and a massive adoption of digital technology by all populations. Because Africa no longer wants to be a partner by default; it intends to be a fully-fledged strategic player in global transformations.
