AUTHOR : SARAH LANGMEAD
GLOBAL FOCUS : EMEA – AFRICA
T H E ‘ A ’ I N E M E A - A U N I Q U E L Y C H A L L E N G I N G Y E T A L L U R I N G D E S T I N A T I O N !
CLIMB THE MOUNTAINS NOT SO THE WORLD CAN SEE YOU , BUT SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE WORLD
AFRICA , a vast continent made up of fifty four extremely diverse countries that are in turn populated by peoples from numerous ethnic origins and languages , continues to present unique challenges for Global Mobility . There is not one ‘ African Culture ’ nor one ‘ African People ,’ just as Europeans , Asians and Americans vary enormously within their individual continents , likewise Africa is made up of many different and indeed contrasting cultures .
The African Economy is likewise diverse and varies greatly between one region of Africa and another , and within each region between one country and another . Between West and Southern Africa there is an enormous economic divide ; and within Western Africa there is again contrast between more and less developed nations ; Nigeria for example , with its plentiful oil reserves has developed far more to date than Mali or Burkina Faso . Overall the past decade has seen the continent evolve enormously and as a result it has undergone even further diversification ; some of its countries having experienced exponential financial growth and development thanks to being the focus of Multinational start-ups and international investment ; whilst others remain virtually untapped and lag seriously behind . Hence we see a widening of the divide between rich and poor , between the more and the less developed African Nations .
This increased divide is also apparent within the structure of each country ’ s society ; as GPD grows overall , and average income per capita increases , the span between top and low end earners widens as some individuals working in relevant sectors are able to cashin on opportunities , whilst many others are not , and just as ' money makes money ’ lack of it breeds further lack with many becoming victims of increased inflation and unfavourable exchange rates in notoriously volatile markets .