How Africa Can Compete in the era of Anti-globalization

If there is one thing, we can be certain of in this day and age, its uncertainty. The rise of populism in the recent past came as a surprise to many with the phenomenon manifesting in two highly politicized events in 2016; those being Brexit in Britain and the election of Donald Trump in America. The world was taken aback by the heated arguments that ensued and resulted in two unlikely outcomes.

The top issues on the table in 2016 were immigration and the loss of national identity. This is quite understandable because people are worried about their jobs, wages, and the erosion of their culture and are seeking an alternative to what is the consequence of globalization.

During the second half of the 20th Century, world leaders were confronted with the challenge to discover new tools that would govern the global economy, environment and changing circumstances of modern life. Thus, began the process of reconstruction from the previous nation-state to an internationalized structure. Consequently, economic, political, cultural, legal and other aspects of society were forced to adapt to the realities of globalization. Essentially, this meant the elimination and weakening of various regulatory functions; free movement of people from country-to-country and the formation of trading blocks, all with the aim of global thinking and doing business freely.

The seeds of the anti-globalization movement became evident in 1999 when riots broke out during the World Trade Organization (WTO) summit in Seattle. The riots were led by an enraged group of opponents of international trade and the anti-globalization arguments; brought about by the institutionalization of the global financial system through institutions like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the like. We must appreciate though, that anti-globalization has transformed into a more polarized movement from the days of the WTO Seattle riots. Anti-globalization has leaders questioning the unification of the world versus a nationalistic approach to global relations. What does this mean for Africa?

Protectionist Policies

Let me begin by citing an example of a recent move made by President Trump and the impact it has on Africa. Trump made a number of promises during the elections and one of them was an end to the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). He argued that the TPP agreement would have cost American’s their jobs and livelihood.

Prior to the formation of the TPP, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) had been in place since the year 2000, and was renewed for another 10 years in 2015, by President Obama.

AGOA enables African companies in the textile industry to export their finished products to the US market duty- free. The fact that it allows for 3rd party sourcing of fabric and still allows exportation to the US duty-free made it even more appealing to nations like Kenya, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mauritius and Madagascar that already have vibrant textile industries.

The TPP was going to offer the same opportunity to a hand full of Asian countries and Africa would have faced stiff competition from these markets. Sourcing fabric from 3rd parities would have resulted in long lead times, less value addition and the loss of opportunity in the American market for African manufacturers.

Asian products are preferable because they have more control over the factors of production, with more value addition than we do here in Africa. The reality of that matter is if Africa doesn’t improve in value addition in our products, we risk losing opportunities in the long run. In a sense this has bought Africa some time.

Many multinational companies are grappling with the future of business where nations are adopting more protectionist policies. This era calls for strategic thinking more than ever and high-level intelligence in order to identify emerging trends. In summary, business leaders need to adapt their operations to meet the challenges ahead in order to build robust businesses. Negotiation will be an important skill going forward and it will have to be up close and personal. This calls for an appreciation of people from different cultures and respect of the value systems they deem fundamental to their way of life. Back to the example I cited on the implications of the end of the TPP on Africa; protectionist policies are going to be a way of life in the business climate. Africa has a lot of work to do if we are going to compete globally any time soon.

As we move into a more self-regularized and protectionist business climate, Africa needs to reposition itself to offer tangible value to our trading partners. In order for us to attract investors we need to put regulations in place such as frameworks for trade that will integrate industries and assets to serve the goals of policy, in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Another aspect that needs improvement is the ability for people to understand the African business climate better. Kenya has been at the forefront in improving the ease of doing business index, however, more indices are required that show how the trade is expected to perform and other methods that enable investors to assess risks. Finally, we need to encourage more international cooperation through mutually beneficial partnerships with a long-term view that grows economies and ensure that growth is felt at the grassroots level – can we improve the lives of every African? This essentially means that Africa must develop long term plans dedicated to the development of its people.