South Africa, May 28 -- It requires deliberate investment, bold partnerships and coordination, and a long-term vision that recognises the continent not just as a collection of markets, but as a collaborative economic force.

Africa's economic renaissance

For too long, Africa's role in the global economy has been that of the world's back office-outsourced skills and labour, raw materials, and rich land. While this has created some economic 'inclusion', it has also kept African nations largely on the periphery of true value creation.

But what if we reimagined Africa not as a supplier to the world, but as a serious global economic player in its own right?

As South Africans, we've often looked outward for growth-courting markets in the US,...