Editor's Note: Click here to listen to this feature, which aired on public radio's Marketplace on July 19, 2010.

Answers:

A. Oil exporters B. Fragile states C. Middle-income countries D. Low-income countries

A. Oil exporters is not correct.

Sub-Saharan Africa’s oil exporters — which include Nigeria, Angola, Sudan and Gabon — have experienced substantial economic growth in the past couple years. Collectively, their economies expanded by 3.8% in 2009 — healthy growth, but not the fastest on the continent.

Considering that Africa has 10% of the world’s proven oil reserves, many countries on the continent are relying upon their natural resource wealth to power their economies. However, such a strategy carries with it substantial risks, such as social, economic and political volatility.

B. Fragile states is not correct.

The economies of the continent’s fragile states — which include war-torn countries such as Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone — expanded on average by 2.9% in 2009.

They managed to grow because local conditions are improving — and because, due to their limited integration with the world economy, there were few spillover effects from the global financial crisis.

C. Middle-income countries is not correct.

Amidst the global economic crisis, Africa’s middle-income countries — which include such nations as South Africa, Mauritius and Namibia — actually contracted on average by -1.8% in 2009. This is due in part to the fact they are relatively integrated into the global economy.

D. Low-income countries is correct.

As a group, Africa’s low-income countries — such as Uganda, Mozambique and Zambia — performed the best among all of the continent’s economies, according to Harry G. Broadman, a global expert on African investment. On average, they registered growth of 4.9% in 2009 — a figure that is projected to rise to 5.1% in 2010 and 7.5% in 2011.

To the surprise of virtually everyone — including Africans — many of sub-Saharan Africa’s economies were actually more resilient than the developed economies during the financial crisis. In 2009, the region’s GDP grew by 2.1% — while the advanced economies contracted by -3.2%.

Sub-Saharan Africa’s success is due in part to improved governance, reduction of wasteful spending, investment in education and health systems, and reforms to trade policies. To be sure, much more reform is needed throughout the continent — but many in the West have yet to fully appreciate Africa’s new realities.