Africa first. Can South Africa ride Africa's development wave? Between now and 2040, almost every second person born is projected to be African, and the continent will account for more than 60% of growth in the world's working age population. Africa is a continent with boundless potential. Why then has the income gap between Africa and the rest of the world been growing since the 1960s? The continent has seen some improvements in infant mortality and life expectancy. But Africa still suffers from massive poverty, inequality, weak economic growth, deindustrialization, and underdeveloped agricultural sector and limited technology. Things in Africa are improving, but much more slowly than in the rest of the world. One important reason is that slow growth in a locomotive state like South Africa is holding Africa back. South Africa is growing slower than much of Africa and upper middle income countries globally. Is it possible for the continent to start catching up with the rest of the world and for South Africa to serve as a growth engine in the region? Two recent publications from the Institute for Security Studies explore Africa's likely development pathway and long-term feature of South Africa. Africa first igniting a growth revolution examines where the continent is and where it will be in 2040 on its current development trajectory. We model 11 transitions from demographics, the implementation to the African continental free trade area to leapfrogging that could help turn Africa's fortunes around. South Africa first, getting to Tumamena as an aspirational vision for South Africa, focused on spurring long-term growth through transformation in health and education. A resolution to the electricity crisis that enables modern industrialization and the implementation of land reform that unlocks additional agricultural potential. The growing gap between Africa and the rest of the world is not cast in stone nor is the pessimism in South Africa's destiny. Evidence-based learning and determined implementation can significantly transform South Africa and the continent.