The Next Africa

The Next Africa: An Emerging Continent Becomes A Global Powerhouse is a 2015 book by Jake Bright and Aubrey Hruby.[1] It tracks Africa's transformation story driven by business, technology, investment, entrepreneurs and creative industries.

The Next Africa: An Emerging Continent Becomes a Global Powerhouse
AuthorJake Bright, Aubrey Hruby
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish, Korean
SubjectAfrica, business, technology, investment, entrepreneurs, music, fashion, international relations
PublisherMacmillan Publishers
Publication date
July 21, 2015
Pages304
ISBN9781250063717
330.96

Narrative

Drawing on data, research and primary source interviews, Bright and Hruby contend that the next 50 years will see a more globally-connected Africa with Africa's leaders and citizens wielding greater economic, cultural and political power.

The authors also press for a more nuanced, net-sum approach for policy-makers and CEOs to approach Africa—arguing it will no longer be "The Hopeless Continent", nor will it become an overnight utopia.

The Next Africa suggests a future in which Americans will be more likely to own African stocks, work for tech companies in Africa and consume music and movies produced by African artists.

Predictions
The Next Africa authors Jake Bright and Aubrey Hruby speak on C-SPAN BookTV via the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC

The Next Africa made several forecasts mirrored by subsequent events. The book predicted Africa's tech sector would soon attract over $1 billion in VC investment, produce IPOs on global exchanges and see startups expand abroad.[2] In 2019, Pan-African e-commerce company Jumia—featured in The Next Africa—listed in a New York Stock Exchange IPO after achieving a billion dollar valuation.[3] In 2020, Nigerian fintech company Paga (also profiled in the book), announced its expansion to Mexico and Asia.[4] That same year, database WeeTracker tabulated over $1 billion in annual venture funding to African startups.[5]

The Next Africa also predicted that African musicians and film producers would find commercial traction with mainstream audiences and partners globally.  Subsequently, Nigerian artists—such as Davido—have signed deals with major music labels, including Sony Music Entertainment.[6] Since 2018, several Nollywood directors, including Kunle Afolayan, have entered content partnerships with Netflix.[7]

Reach
The Next Africa authors Jake Bright and Aubrey Hruby speak at The World Affairs Council San Francisco with MallforAfrica CEO Chris Folayan and New York Times journalist Quentin Hardy

The Next Africa was distributed on four continents, translated into Korean and has been utilized in academic curriculum at universities including Georgetown, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Business School.[8][9][10][11]

The Next Africa was referenced in media outlets including The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, TechCrunch and USA Today.[12][13][14][15]

The book was also featured at speaking events at venues including The Commonwealth Club of California, Council on Foreign Relations, Harvard Club of New York, Wharton Club of Washington DC, The Atlantic Council, World Affairs Council, TEDx, C-SPAN and The Economic Club of Traverse City.[16][17][18][19][20][21]

Reception

The Next Africa won Axiom's Best Business Book Award (sponsored by Inc. Magazine) for International Business/Globalization.[22]

The book received jacket endorsements from AOL founder and VC investor Steve Case, GE Africa CEO Jay Ireland (Ret.) and former Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore.

Aubrey Hruby speaks at The Next Africa book event at Kenya's iHub with Bitange Ndemo (L) and Erik Hersman (R) in Nairobi in 2015

The Next Africa was reviewed in Foreign Affairs, African Business, Wharton Magazine and Seeking Alpha.[23][24][25]

Jake Bright discusses The Next Africa at a WorldDenver book event in Denver, Colorado in 2016

References
  1. "The Next Africa | Jake Bright | Macmillan". US Macmillan. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  2. "The Rise Of Silicon Savannah And Africa's Tech Movement". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  3. "African e-commerce startup Jumia's shares open at $14.50 in NYSE IPO". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  4. Kazeem, Yomi. "African startups are making the risky bet of expanding beyond the continent for growth". Quartz Africa. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  5. "Did African startups raise $496M, $1B or $2B in 2019?". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  6. copy, Copied to clipboardClick to. "'This Isn't a Fad': Three of Africa's Biggest Stars on Making the Industry Come to Them". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  7. "Netflix Unveils More Nigerian Originals". The Hollywood Reporter. 2020-09-21. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  8. "The Next Africa - Pan Macmillan AU". Pan Macmillan Australia. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  9. "THE NEXT AFRICA". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  10. "The Legatum Center at MIT - MIT LEGATUM CENTER LAUNCHES OPEN MIC AFRICA @MIT SERIES ON AFRICA'S DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURS AND TECHNOLOGY". The Legatum Center at MIT. 2019-02-21. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  11. webcache.googleusercontent.com https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:6wKT_LKFhVkJ:https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/uploadedFiles/DC/Syllabus%2520for%2520Prospects%2520for%2520African%2520Development.doc+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us. Retrieved 2021-01-15. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. Bright, Jake. "An E-Commerce Challenge in Africa: Selling to People Who Aren't Online". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  13. Hruby, Aubrey; Bright, Jake. "Why China's role in Africa isn't as dominant as you think". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  14. Mosher, Alexandra. "Silicon Valley watch out: Tech thriving in Africa". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  15. "Why Obama's Africa Trip Matters".
  16. "The Next Africa: Business, Entrepreneurs, Technology and Turnaround". Commonwealth Club. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  17. "Ahead of Obama's Africa Trip, the DC Launch of The Next Africa". Atlantic Council. 2015-07-14. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  18. "The Next Africa: Technology and Business on an Emerging Continent - World Affairs Council". www.worldaffairs.org. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  19. "TEDxTraverseCity | TED". www.ted.com. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  20. "[The Next Africa] | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  21. [email protected], DANIELLE WOODWARD. "International author speaks at Economic Club". Traverse City Record-Eagle. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  22. Awards, 9th Annual. "Announcing the 2016 Axiom Business Book Awards Results". Independent Publisher - feature. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  23. "The Many Africas". 2019-08-14. ISSN 0015-7120. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  24. "Any Day Now for Africa Business Is Today". Wharton Magazine. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  25. "Review Of 'The Next Africa: An Emerging Continent Becomes A Global Powerhouse' By Jake Bright And Aubrey Hruby".

The Next Africa on Twitter

The Next Africa on C-SPAN

The Next Africa book review in Foreign Affairs

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