• Africa is not economically stagnant. Sub Saharan Africa has experienced sustained growth over the last several years of about 6%, much higher than the developed world. Some countries have even approached the growth rates of the darling growth markets India and China. In fact, the fastest growing economy over the last 30 years has been neither China nor India, but Botswana.
• Most Africans are not living hand to mouth. In fact on average Africans save more of their income than Americans.
• Africa’s population is not comprised largely of adherents to strange animist religions and witchcraft. Kenya, for example, is 66% Christian, 10% Muslim, and 1% Hindu. (I had a devil of a time (pardon the pun) convincing a friend recently that a majority of Kenyans are Christians). The (rest includes agnosticism, atheism, and traditional religions (yes, such as animism and witchcraft – which by the way is illegal in Kenya). This is roughly the same religious makeup of Germany, so if Africans are superstitious, then so are Germans.
• Most Africans do not live under the constant threat of war and crime. The crime rate in South Africa, that bastion of lawlessness, is lower than such peaceful stalwarts as the US, the UK, Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, and even the Netherlands (How is this possible? Is anything against the law in the Netherlands?). And Zambia is one of the most crime-free spots on the face of the earth. Crime is even falling in “Nairobbery,” as Nairobi, Kenya has been called.
• The percentage of the population of Africa that dies in war each year is less than 1/2 of 1%. That’s far too high, mind you, but probably much lower than you expected. The percentage of African boys who are soldiers is also less than 1/2 of 1%. Again WAAAAY too high, but you get the point.
• The total number of Africans afflicted by famine, PLUS those living as refugees, PLUS those who die of AIDS each year is less than 1/2 of 1% of the population.

[Lenovo Blog]