Inner Crises: Globalization and the Development of Africa

In this era of increased globalization, Africa seems to the continent that gets left behind. Rich in natural resources but poor in terms of infrastructure and stable institutions, it represents a region that is both intriguing to and toxic for potential investors. While it is a vast region peopled by many tribes and clans, scholars tend to attempt to paint the area with a single brush. This paper seeks to determine both the effects of and the potential for globalization by presenting three states, South Africa, Somalia and Zambia as microcosmic of African nations in three different stages of development.