Africa is the future – by 2100, one in three people will live there. As the African Union’s clout grows, Switzerland is stepping up its engagement. Africa’s demographic surge means the continent will soon account for a major share of the world’s population. According to forecasts, a third of the world’s people will be living on the continent by 2100 – making the continent a sought-after partner in diplomacy, economics and geopolitics. “Africa [...] will play a key role in shaping global developments in the coming decades,” notes the opening line of Switzerland’s new strategy for Africa – a sentiment echoed in similar policy papers from other nations. The surge in diplomatic interest is visible on the ground. In the last decade alone, over 200 new embassies and consulates have opened across the continent – particularly by countries from the Global South seeking closer ties with Africa. Some of these are in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia and seat of the African Union (AU). The ...
