The role of the African Middle Class

On a continent once synonymous with war, famine and poverty, a middle class has started to emerge, propelled by growth and urbanisation. Its rise has much to do with the spread of democracy and greater rule of law—countries with such attributes tend to generate more economic opportunities than those where few rulers line their pockets. But there are doubts that such a middle class could play a pioneering role in the transformation of societies towards greater social justice and less inequality.

Guest: Henning Melber
Position: Director emeritus and Senior Advisor of the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation and Senior Advisor of the Nordic Africa Institute and Extraordinary Professor at the Department of Political Sciences/University of Pretoria and at the Centre for Africa Studies/University of the Free State