• African economic growth appears to be accelerating significantly, raising legitimate hopes for the future of a long-troubled region
• It is encouraging that the sources of growth have broadened, to some extent diminishing Africa's reliance on raw material markets

The impact of the load-shedding crisis of 2008 is still being felt in South Africa. The cost to the economy of the blackouts that rolled across the country for three months is estimated at R50 billion ($6.5 billion). Under the combined weight of global recession and the self-inflicted wound of massive power cuts, GDP growth slipped to 2.1% in the first quarter of 2008 and ended the year below 4% for the first time in five years.