Why does Africa have so few billionaires?

1. Why does Africa have so few billionaires? Key questions: What are the challenges facing countries in generating wealth? What factors might be responsible for the lack of billionaires in Africa?

2. Why does Africa have so few billionaires? - StarterIf wealthy regions like North America and Europe have the most billionaires, then does this mean Africa with only five billionaires is generally poorer? Why might this be the case that some regions are poorer than others? • Look at the environmental challenges photographs • Do you think any of these photo help to explain why some regions of the world lag behind others in the number of billionaires and wealth that they are able to create? • Think about the natural environment - climate, living things, water, other natural resources, disasters. Are there any other factors? Think historical, social and economic.

3. Environmental challenges? • These images were actually all taken in the USA - the richest country in the world with over 400 billionaires! • So although environmental factors can affect generation of wealth, it is often other political and historical factors that have the largest impact on a regions wealth and development.

4. Photos of Africa

5. Africa’s Challenge • You know from what you have studied so far that Africa has only five resident billionaires. But environmental reason alone cannot explain the lack of wealth. In small groups choose a challenge from the following list: • tsetse fly area (malaria) • earthquakes and volcanoes • droughts • flood • War • HIV/AIDS • Landlocked • Political corruption

6. Africa’s Challenge • Using the risky world interactive and the Africa map identify which countries face your chosen challenge and brainstorm reasons why this could prevent the country becoming wealthier.  • Jargon buster! On the Risky World map Tectonic hazards include earthquake and volcanoes; hydrological hazards include floods, cyclones and landslides. • In your groups produce a presentation on your chosen challenge: • Fully explain how the challenge causes African people to struggle. • Highlight areas affected and the issues the challenge is causing. • Do you think these challenges can be overcome with the right leadership and / or investment and supportive policies from other nations? Your presentation should be between 3 to 5 minutes and have visual aids so that your audience can clearly identify with the challenge that Africa faces.

7. Plenary • If you look at the billionaires by region again you can see that Egypt and South Africa are the only countries in Africa home to billionaires. • Egypt and South Africa are "anomalies" due to their billionaires - they do not fit in with the general trend in Africa. • What factors might explains this? • What is special or unusual about these countries (including their position on the map) from what you have studied in this module so far? • Egypt's main revenues come from tourism and traffic that goes through the Suez Canal. • Egypt has a developed energy market based on coal, oil, natural gas, and hydro power • South Africa has experienced a different history from other nations in Africa because of early immigration from Europe and the strategic importance of the Cape Sea Route.