What African Countries can Learn from the United States

African leaders are turning to China, believing that China is the new kid on the block. However, there are plenty of lessons that African leaders can learn from the United States. I'm not saying that the United States is perfect, for it is a country that too has its own weaknesses. However, by and large, it has provided a model upon which the rest of the world can learn from, and no wonder the world's best and brightest all dream of going to the United States one day.

The first lesson that African leaders can learn from the United States is that democracy doesn't have to be at the expense of economic growth. Too often, we have seen that in African countries its as if it is a choice of one or the other. Both democracy and economic growth go hand in hand. True, some countries such as Rwanda and Ethiopia have prioritised economic growth over democracy, or Tanzania has prioritised democracy over economic growth. However, the United States shows that a big democracy can also be the world's superpower when it comes economic growth. Think about all the opposing forces in the United
States, the groups and lobbies that are fighting each day to have their say. The truth is that even if politicians disagree all the time, they still get down to doing the basic things. What we must know is that even in infighting, African leaders can agree to disagree. Too often during times of elections is when African countries usually experience the most instability. What if African leaders learnt that there is always a second chance, that the promise of democracy is that even though we disagree on key policy points, we are not necessarily enemies.

Another lesson that African leaders could draw from the United States is the art of marketing. Hollywood exists for no other reason than to market the United States as the most powerful and attractive place in the world. On the other hand, the African media has all too often cast a negative spell on Africa, further fueling into the international narrative of Africa becoming a place where disease, war, and poverty is rife.

Crucially, Africa could learn that business and entrepreneurship is the way through which wealth is created. African countries must position themselves to be places where business is conducted. Too many countries do not feature highly in the ease of doing business in Africa. Rwanda, Botswana, and Mauritius are the highest ranked African countries, but the rest of the African countries do not feature as highly. Moreover, Silicon Valley can offer important lessons for African innovators, and when we endeavor to build an ecosystem of talent, capital, access to markets and intellectual property rights, then we can create the next silicon Valley in the continent. The fact that anyone brilliant can come up with an idea, get investors, and flourish thereafter, is an important lesson that Africa can indeed learn from the United States.