Africa’s Geopolitics: Governance, Corruption and Global Influence

In this episode, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss Africa as the potential "next China," its corrupt governments, and Botswana's leadership example. They also touch on the Indian Ocean's geopolitical significance, what it means for the global Islamist movements and migration trends towards China, and the need for strong local governance to avoid pitfalls like civil war and kleptocracy. If you need an ecommerce platform, check out our sponsor Shopify: https://www.shopify.com/momentofzen for a $1/month trial period. Live Players is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: https://www.turpentine.co/ - RECOMMENDED PODCAST: History 102 with WhatifAltHist Every week, creator of WhatifAltHist Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg cover a major topic in history in depth -- in under an hour. This season will cover classical Greece, early America, the Vikings, medieval Islam, ancient China, the fall of the Roman Empire, and more. Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36Kqo3BMMUBGTDo1IEYihm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-102-with-whatifalthists-rudyard-lynch-and/id1730633913 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@History102-qg5oj - We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: https://eriktorenberg.com/. — SPONSORS: HARMONIC | SHOPIFY 🧲 Learn why Craft, Bedrock, NEA and 100s more trust Harmonic’s data to source deals. Harmonic is the most complete startup database, finding new companies as soon as they incorporate and tracking them through IPO. Head to https://bit.ly/harmonicturpentine and make sure to mention Turpentine VC during your demo. Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce in the US. And Shopify’s the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy’s, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one e-commerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you’re selling, Shopify’s got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://www.shopify.com/momentofzen — LINKS: Samo’s Bismarck Brief: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/ — TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Intro (00:25) What's happened in Africa over the past 20 years (05:26) Nigeria and Ethiopia without the civil war. (08:30) Make the new states of Africa become wealthy (10:00) Botswana as an example of a well-run presidential democracy (12:40) Diamond mining in Botswana and partnership with De Beers (15:20) Nigeria's Economic growth (22:24) Sponsor - Shopify (23:59) Bullish case for Africa rests more on the development projects of Ethiopia (35:44) Africa's importance in the broader geopolitical struggle among great powers (41:10) Lessons from South Africa's deep history (49:05) On countries becoming decolonized and independent and becoming sustainable (54:11) Challenges faced by the regions of Africa (56:28) Wrap -- This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at [email protected].