Certainly the continent has always intrigued and sometimes frightened outsiders. Over the centuries little has changed though most news these days seems likely to disturb and dampen rather than excite curiosity. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria, whose country hosted this year's Organisation of African Unity summit in July, was candid when he addressed its opening session. Few observers would argue against the generalisation. In fact President Bouteflika was being more than polite by omitting to mention Africa's other huge problem, which is the kleptomaniac tendency of government officials to misappropriate public finances for themselves and their cronies.
Corruption is a more overt problem in Africa than in any other part of the world.
However, those who turn their backs on investing in Africa or trading with it are forgoing a rare opportunity. Shrewd investors consider that Africa comprises in some way what Latin American and Asian markets were a generation or more ago. For these investors, the so-called Dark Continent represents the last great developing market. A soaring growth in population over the same time span could mean sub-Saharan Africa's population more than doubling to some 1.6 billion people. The so far unanswered question is whether the continent's present problems will be meaningfully addressed and corrected in the years ahead to allow market potential to be developed.