Africa's Pulse: Now is the time to invest in Africa

Africa's Pulse, a new publication highlighting economic trends and the latest data in sub-Saharan Africa, launched on Friday with a clear message: this is the time to invest in Africa.

At the launch, World Bank Africa Chief Economist Shanta Devarajan explained that, "although Africa was the hardest hit by the crisis, its recovery has been so remarkable that we could be at the beginning of what history will describe as Africa’s decade."

The outlook isn't all rosy, of course. With the global financial crisis halting the steady rate of growth in the region, Africa will now likely miss most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by their 2015 deadline, despite the remarkable progress. n estimated 7-10 million more Africans were driven into poverty and about 30,000-50,000 children died before their first birthday because of the crisis.

Yet, there is still reason to be optimistic, with important reforms occurring across the region, particularly in the areas of employment, infrastructure, and human development.

More information:

• Report: Africa's Pulse (pdf)
• Feature Story: Africa's Pulse
• Report: Africa Infrastructure
• Slideshow: Africa Infrastructure
• World Bank in Africa
• Africa Can End Poverty (blog)