Africa’s time has come
- Wits University
Professor Jeffrey Sachs urges bold continental strategy as global order shifts.
The changing world order – from traditional hubs of political and economic power – is shifting to Asia, and possibly Africa in the next few decades, if the continent acts with ambition, unity and a long-term vision.
This was the key message of a public lecture delivered by Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, a renowned economics professor, bestselling author and global leader in sustainable development in the Wits Great Hall on Friday, 21 November 2025. This forms part of the G20@Wits Programme, convened by Dr Bob Wekesa and hosted by the African Centre for the Study of the United States at Wits.
Speaking on Africa in the G20: Multilateralism in a shifting global order, Sachs described today’s moment as one of “geotectonic shifts of astounding magnitude and speed”, with Africa having the potential to emerge at the centre of a new world order before the end of the century.
“Africa’s time and turn have come,” said Sachs. “It is feasible and the right target for Africa to move from widespread poverty to high income within the next generation.”
A multipolar world
Sachs argued that the “western-dominated” world order is over. For 150 years, the industrial age privileged the Global North – first Britain and then Europe and the United States – underpinned by imperialism across Asia and Africa.
That era, he said, has now given way to a multipolar world economy symbolised by the G20 itself. Power is dispersed amongst several major states notably the US, China, India and Russia, with no single country able to dictate the global agenda.
He emphasised that China’s rise is especially significant and detailed how it has become a leading world economy on the technological frontier, often “with or ahead of the US”, particularly in green technologies. Sachs suggested that this has profound implications and opportunities for Africa if it studies China’s rise, unites across borders, and works towards a common goal.
Five disruptions reshaping Africa’s future
Sachs identified five simultaneous disruptions that are transforming the global landscape, which Africa must navigate strategically:
- Economic and geopolitical realignment
According to Sachs, the world economy is shifting towards Asia, with China and India lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty. Trade patterns, investment flows and global value chains are also being reconfigured. His advice to Africa is to think and act on a continental scale, negotiate as a bloc, build a true African Union, and use its demographic advantage to shape global partnerships.
- Technological revolution and digital leapfrogging
The digital revolution is democratising the world, according to Sachs. Digital tools are accessible to all and countries that move quickly can leapfrog old technologies.
He indicated that China has already done this, jumping ahead in sectors like mobile payments, e-commerce and green technologies. Africa, Sachs argued, can do the same but only if it invests in skills and universal connectivity.
The emphasis on education was not lost and he called for no child to be left without secondary schooling and no learner to be without a laptop or digital access. “Everyone needs digital access and we must consciously use these leapfrog technologies,” he added.
- Ecological crisis and the green transition
Industrialisation has placed the planet under severe strain – through resource depletion, pollution, deforestation and climate change driven by greenhouse gas emissions.
Sachs urged African leaders to see the green transition not as a burden but as a development strategy citing China’s innovation and scale of implementing solar modules as a case study. We have the solutions,” he said. “It is affordable and feasible, but it must be done consciously by governments.”
Africa, he argued, can leapfrog to non-carbon energy systems, electric mobility and sustainable agriculture, positioning itself at the forefront of the global green economy.
- Demographic transformation
The world’s population has surged from 800 million two centuries ago to 8 billion today, according to Sachs. Africa’s population is growing fastest - from about 300 million in the mid-20th Century to 1.5 billion today. By 2050, Africa’s population is projected to reach around 2.5 billion and by 2100, approximately 3.7 billion – roughly a third of humanity.
“This demographic wave will place Africa at the centre of the world’s story but only if the continent turns its youth bulge into a skills bulge through massive investment in education, health and jobs,” said Sachs.
- Innovation, planning and the development state
Sachs highlighted China’s experience from 1980 to 2020 as proof that it is possible to move from low to high income in one generation. China did this through long-term planning and vision, huge investments in education and skills, building high-quality infrastructure, and supporting innovation and globally competitive firms.
“Africa, he argued, must adopt an equally ambitious trajectory, underpinned by a continent-wide investment programme in people, infrastructure and technology.”
The role of universities
Introducing the lecture, Assistant Dean in the Faculty of Humanities, Professor Victor de Andrade emphasised Africa’s unique advantage in “experiential learning first hand” living through these global changes rather than observing them from afar. This, he suggested, places a special responsibility on governments and universities to inform and guide African development choices.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation, Professor Lynn Morris welcomed Sachs and the audience and said: “The theme of Professor Sachs’s lecture could not be more relevant. The world is changing rapidly and the global order is being reshaped before our eyes. These shifts are visible here in South Africa, especially in the recent debates around foreign policy and our G20 theme of solidarity, equality and sustainability.”
She added: “For scholars and universities, these tensions are not only political. They are opportunities for research teaching and public engagement - they invite us to rethink the frameworks we use to understand power, diplomacy and development in a changing world.”
For Sachs, universities like Wits are crucial partners in this project, especially through training the next generation of African leaders, driving cutting-edge research and innovation, and shaping the continental strategies needed for Africa to succeed in a shifting global order.
“If Africa invests in its people, leverages digital and green technologies and acts as a united continental bloc, by 2050 it can be a high-income, peaceful and innovative region, contributing solutions to global challenges rather than bearing their brunt,” he concluded.