AFRICA VS THE FUTURE Subscribe freeSubscribe
The Africa vs The Future Community portrait: a woman in profile, her head drawn as circuitry

Africa vs The Future

  • Urban economy
  • Copper
  • Defence
  • Industrial policy
  • Strategy

African ownership of narrative next.

Taking a critical and progressive look at the underlying challenges facing the African future.

Soon The Hidden Architecture Briefing: get it free when you subscribe →

Follow Substack Medium SoundCloud Bluesky Mastodon X

Now arguing

  1. Livelihoods or Cleanliness: The Economics Behind Africa’s Vendor Crackdowns Urban economy ·
  2. Reality Check: Could Copper do for Zambia what Oil did for the Middle East Copper ·
  3. The African Military Industrial Complex Defence ·
  4. The African Call for Value Addition Correct — but the approach needs an update fast Industrial policy ·
Livelihoods or Cleanliness: The Economics Behind Africa’s Vendor Crackdowns Reality Check: Could Copper do for Zambia what Oil did for the Middle East The African Military Industrial Complex The African Call for Value Addition Correct — but the approach needs an update fast Ownership Is Not Capability: Why Africa’s Push for Resource Beneficiation Risks Building Empty Factories Aligned & Enlightened Self-Interest for African Nations (AESIFAN) Philosophy — A new era of Realism China Built the World's Best EVs. Then Lost to European Competitors. Here's What That Has to Do With Africa. The Goat Herder and the Algorithm: Why English Is Africa’s Most Radical Act of Self-Determination Africa vs Future Community Podcast - 001
01 / Read

Latest articles

All articles →
Abstract teal-and-gold urban economy motif for “Livelihoods or Cleanliness: The Economics Behind Africa’s Vendor Crackdowns” 5 min read Urban economy

· Africa vs The Future

Livelihoods or Cleanliness: The Economics Behind Africa’s Vendor Crackdowns

Lusaka, Harare and Accra are moving traders off their pavements. The pavements keep filling up again. Is the problem the vendor, or the plan? The Man Who Pulled Down His Own Shop For more than five years, Maxwell Mwenda traded from a makeshift shop on Lumumba Road. As the council’s 29 September deadline passed, he did not wait for the police. He pulled the shop down himself. “I don’t even…
02 / Free guide

Free guide · coming soon

The Hidden Architecture Briefing

5 often-ignored challenges facing Africa's future, and the alternative view.

A free guide built from our published articles. It's being prepared now. Subscribe free and you'll get it the day it's released.

03 / Choose your depth

Free Community vs Thought Leaders

Community portrait Free

Free · Community

Start with the argument.

  • Every article, in fullFree to read on this site, also on Medium and Substack
  • Email sign-upNew articles and episodes in your inbox
  • SoundCloud Community podcast1 episode so far
Subscribe free
Thought Leaders portrait: a man in glasses against a city skyline Paid

Paid · Thought Leaders

The deeper analysis.

  • Substack paid editionThe full analysis behind the free posts

An optional paid edition on Substack. Everything in Community stays free.

04 / Listen

The podcast

The free Community podcast on SoundCloud.

All episodes →
Episode artwork for “Africa vs Future Community Podcast - 001”

· 00:12:42 · SoundCloud

Africa vs Future Community Podcast - 001

Explore the importance of language in driving technological advancements in Africa. Learn why embracing English is crucial for the continent's future.

SoundCloud

05 / Discuss

Current discussion

Recent posts from Bluesky, updated at every build.

Lusaka's council budgeted K63.4m in levies for 2026, about K174,000 a day. If the 8,000 moved vendors took K50–K100 a day each, that's K400,000–K800,000 a day in takings. How much of it survives the move from pavement to market stall? #econsky

· Join the thread on Bluesky ↗

For more than five years, Maxwell Mwenda traded from a makeshift shop on Lumumba Road. When Lusaka's 29 September deadline passed, he pulled it down himself. Will he still be trading, legally and profitably, a year from now? #econsky

· Join the thread on Bluesky ↗

More than 8,000 vendors have been moved out of Lusaka's city centre under Operation Clear Path. Lusaka cleared its pavements in 2018; by October 2019 vending had formally resumed on Lumumba Road. Is the problem the vendor, or the plan? #econsky

· Join the thread on Bluesky ↗

Follow everywhere

SubstackFree brief by email MediumFree articles SoundCloudCommunity podcast BlueskyDaily posts MastodonDaily posts XDaily posts InstagramVisual posts TikTokShort video
06 / In brief

Key facts

Frequently asked

What is Africa vs The Future?

Africa vs The Future is a media and thought-leadership project. It asks, and tries to answer, the hardest and most impactful questions facing the nations of the African continent, with researched articles and podcasts.

Is Africa vs The Future Pan-African?

No. The project believes in the long, ancient diversity of the continent. It argues for “aligned and enlightened self-interest” between African nations (AESIFAN) rather than Pan-Africanism. See the article “Aligned & Enlightened Self-Interest for African Nations (AESIFAN) Philosophy — A new era of Realism”.

Where can I read or listen for free?

Every article can be read in full, free, on africavsthefuture.xyz; they are also published on Medium and Substack. The free Community podcast is on SoundCloud. Email sign-up on the site is free and delivers new releases.

Who writes Africa vs The Future?

Articles are published under the Africa vs The Future byline on Medium and Substack.

Never miss a release

Get every article by email.

New articles and episodes as they land, plus The Hidden Architecture Briefing when it's released.

Free articles by email

Subscribe