Africa's Middle Class Lures Investment

For too long, the story of Africa has been about government corruption, war and disease. The economic news was bad, too; from 1975 to 1995, the continent was mired in negative growth, indebtedness and hyperinflation.

Now that story is changing. During the past 10 years, six of the world’s fastest-growing economies have been in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Economist magazine. Over the next five years, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zambia may grow at an average of 7.2 percent annually, the Economist says. Over this period, the average African economy will outpace its counterpartin Asia. Africa has become an important emerging market and, compared with other regions, it has a relatively high rate of return on investments.