Economic impact of colonialism on Africa

Economic impact of colonialism on Africa Africa''s economy was diverse, driven by extensive trade routes that developed between cities and kingdoms. Some trade routes were over land and some involved navigating rivers, still others developed around port cities. Large African empires became wealthy due to their trade networks, for example Ancient Egypt, Nubia, Mali, Ashanti, and the Oyo Empire. After the Scramble for Africa in the 1880s and the partitioning of the continent among European powers, the continent''s former trade routes were replaced with new ones and its economies were radically changed. Colonial interests created new industries to feed European appetites for goods such as palm oil, rubber, cotton, precious metals, spices and other goods. Following the independence of African countries during the 20th century, economic, political and social upheaval consumed much of the continent. An economic rebound among some countries has been evident in recent years, however the dawn of the African economic boom (which is in place since 2000s) was similar to the Chinese economic boom that had emerged in Asia since late 1970s.

The economic impact of the colonisation of Africa has been debated. The opinions are biased between researchers, some of them consider that Europeans had a positive impact on Africa; others affirm that Africa''s development was slowed down by colonial rule. The principal aim of colonial rule in Africa by European colonial powers was to exploit natural wealth in the African continent at a low cost. Some writers, such as Walter Rodney in his book How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, argue that these colonial policies are directly responsible for many of Africa''s modern problems. Critics of colonialism charge colonial rule with injuring African pride, self-worth and belief in themselves. Europeans also colonised African knowledge not just to claim it as their own, but also to disconnect Africans from their heritage and culture. Other post-colonial scholars, most notably Frantz Fanon continuing along this line, have argued that the true effects of colonialism are psychological and that domination by a foreign power creates a lasting sense of inferiority and subjugation that creates a barrier to growth and innovation. Such arguments posit that a new generation of Africans free of colonial thought and colonial mind-set is emerging and that this is driving economic transformation in Africa.

Historian Peter Duignan argued that Africa probably benefited from colonialism on balance. Although it had its faults, colonialism was probably “one of the most efficacious engines for cultural diffusion in world history”. These views, however, are controversial and are rejected by some who, on balance, see colonialism as bad. The economic historian David Kenneth has taken a kind of middle position, arguing that the effects of colonialism were actually limited and their main weakness wasn''t in deliberate underdevelopment, but in what it failed to do. Niall Ferguson agrees with his last point, arguing that colonialism''s main weaknesses were sins of omission. Analysis of the economies of African states finds that independent states such as Liberia and Ethiopia did not have better economic performance than their post-colonial counterparts. In particular the economic performance of former British colonies was better than both independent states and former French colonies. The seemingly intractable nature of Africa''s poverty has led to debate concerning its root causes. Endemic warfare and unrest, widespread corruption, and despotic regimes are both causes and effects of the continued economic problems. The decolonisation of Africa was fraught with instability aggravated by cold war conflict. Since the mid-20th century, the Cold War and increased and corruption and despotism have also contributed to Africa''s poor economy and not only colonialism. Scholars continue to debate whether Africa''s relative poverty predates colonialism. Jared Diamond argues in Guns, Germs, and Steel that Africa has always been poor due to a number of ecological factors affecting historical development. These factors include low population density, lack of domesticated livestock and plants and the north-south orientation of Africa''s geography. However Diamond''s theories have been criticised by some as a form of environmental determinism. Sub-Saharan Africa was relatively wealthy and technologically advanced until at least the seventeenth century. Some scholars who believe that Africa was generally poorer than the rest of the world throughout its history make exceptions for certain parts of Africa. Most of Africa has always been relatively poor, but Aksum, Ghana, Songhay, Mali, and Great Zimbabwe were probably as developed as their contemporaries anywhere in the world. The poverty of Africa at the onset of the colonial period was principally due to the demographic loss associated with the slave trade as well as other related societal shifts. The core objective of Western missionary intervention in Africa was to turn Africans into Christians, however Christian missionary activities were supplemented by economic imperialism and exploitation of African resources and its people. In order for Western imperialists to gain ownership of Africa''s rich economic resources, they emerged victorious through intellectual colonialisation and mis-education in which Africans where taught the values of a Christian church and a white Jesus, in the process indigenous Africans were given a bible and taught how to pray as deliverance from evil/sin. When Africans opened their eyes the white man took ownership of the land while the black man only had a bible in his hands. Given the past colonial injustices done to Africa and its people by Western imperialists there is still hope for Africa and its people. Africa has a great economic future, Africa will experience a “demographic dividend” by 2035 when its young and growing labour force will have fewer children and retired people as dependents as a proportion of the population, making it more demographically comparable to the US and Europe. The young and growing labour force will also move Africa forward.

*Edward Shati is a third year student studying towards a Bachelor of Education (Honours) at the University of Namibia.