Why is Africa Still So Poor?

I am receiving A LOT of racist and uninformed comments on this video every day and I want to adress them here. 1. Sub-saharan Africa didn't develop any written language This is simply incorrect. A prominent example of the Ge'ez script. But there are several others. 2. They couldn't even invent the wheel (in sub-Sahara Africa) Anyone who says this doesn't know how wheels work. They did have the wheel, but it was of no use to them. In order to use wheels for transport you need a lubricant. In Europe, Asia, and North Africa they had the wild boar (and later the domesticated pig). These were animals with a lot of fat which could be used to lubricate those wheels. But they are not native to Sub-Saharan Africa. Without sufficient and cheap fat wheels were useless. It's why places that didn't have easy access to fat didn't use wheels. Even with our modern technology we still need to use lubricants... If anyone thinks a pre-industrial civilization could fix this issue, which we still can't fix today, needs to lower their expectations. On top of that, Africa has a lot of rivers and African river ships were so incredibly advanced that when Europeans tried to invade Africa in the 16th-18th centuries that they were easily defeated by the local Africans. 3. Africa didn't have any countries/empires Even a short google search easily disproves this. Here are just 20 of them: Mali Empire, Ghana Empire, Songhai Empire, Kanem-Bornu Empire, Sokoto Caliphate, Jolof Empire, Oyo Empire, Benin Empire, Kaabu Empire, Aro Confederacy, Ashanti Empire, Kong Empire, Bamana Empire, Wassoulou Empire, Kongo Kingdom, Luba Empire, Lunda Empire, Zulu Kingdom, Maravi Empire, Rozvi Empire.

Africa is not poor , it is poorly managed

It’s obviously because I didn’t eat all of my dinner when I was 5

as an African, the emotions that this video invoked in me were insane. we can only succeed by working together.

As a Nigerian I would say this is one of the most accurate representations of African economic history on YouTube. Although there were a lot of generalizations, which would be impossible to avoid trying to fit the economic history of an entire continent in 40 minutes, you did a good job!

As someone from South Africa I honestly believe the biggest problem is not the lack of democracy but the amount of corruption .

I happen to be Email friends with a wealthy Nigerian Prince

There is poverty in this world because the greedy profit from the misery of others. Not just Africa all over the world. Poverty exists because of greed and the unequal spread of wealth, poverty is absolutely man-made and on purpose.

So basically we were fighting eachother and being dumb while people were planning and developing

"A dead peasant is an unproductive peasant." Isn't that a Ferengi Rule of Acquisition?

As a Nigerian, the video almost brings me to tears. Even till today, the last of the corrupt leaders from the 50s to the 80s still have their hooks entrenched in the government. I hope my generation can put away the Relegious and Tribalistic ideals that have not helped anyone.

Really advanced and informative video, thank you. I've learnt a lot and it is all logical. Keep it up!

Amazing Video! Really learned a lot here, specially what the bigger picture looks like.

I'm from Ethiopia, Africa. I learned more from this video in 40 minutes, than I did in high school or college. Bravo! Thank you for posting.

So, basically, even if there are improvements in terms of education and people become more skilled and talented, those people can't contribute anything into the economy very well, because of their corrupt government, which results to migrating into a wealthier country.

This is a great listen, I hope you have many great videos like this.

Is truly disheartening how even with the countries that are escaping poverty the fastest, it still takes decades to even see most of it disappear, and how many people never really had a choice and they have to live at terrible human conditions…

I worked with a co-worker, whom was in South Africa. As a general rule, if you take all of a workers possessions, they leave the country. We also helped a man leave a country in Africa, and become a doctor. We helped him out. He brought lots of stuff back for charity to help the children, whom has seen nothing but war in their country.. The "stuff" was siezed, and sold to help the war effort. It was his intent to go back, but after his charity was defeated...he stayed in the USA.

“When an African becomes rich, his bank accounts are in Switzerland, he goes to France for medical treatment, he invests in Germany, he buys houses in Dubai, he Prays in Rome or Mecca, his Children study in England or Canada, the whole family all take Western Nationalities and they travel to Europe for tourism. When he dies, he returns to be buried in his home country. Africa is a graveyard for Africans, how could you ever expect a graveyard to be developed?” - one of the realest things I have ever heard, the first step is for all those millions of middle/upper class Nigerians (including my dad) living and raising families abroad, to invest and give back to their country.

Corruption in Africa is insane. Almost every politician is corrupt. That's why Africa has a long way to go