I've been to 27 different Sub-Saharan African countries, and here’s the hard reality: I took the attached photo in the inner city of Nairobi, Kenya, because it captures Africa better than any of my other photos. In every single country, no matter the government’s ideology or the amount of natural resources it was blessed with, once you are inside the cities and can’t see the ecological differences, every country looks exactly the same. You won’t be able to tell them apart. Here’s what was true for every country: • Thousands of people loiter in the streets, no matter the day or time. Unemployment is sky high. • Roads and infrastructure are in ruins. If you don’t have a serious 4x4, don’t attempt to drive. You will break down. • Don’t expect your hotel to have electricity all day, unless it’s a private lodge with a generator or solar power. • Don’t drink anything but bottled water. You will get sick. • Children play in the streets all day, every day. Many, if not most, don’t attend school. • Be very, VERY alert to crime, especially in the cities. Petty crime is the order of the day, and most people’s survival depends on it. • Sanitation systems are collapsing. Wherever you stop in a city, turn 360 degrees and you’ll see sewage running down the street. • Trash piles are everywhere, and more often than not, animals are eating from them, even in the city centres. • The only operations that consistently function are those taken over by the Chinese. As I said, the government’s ideology and the wealth of resources make no difference. The only factor that matters is the time since independence and how independent the country truly became. For example, Botswana, being a British protectorate until very recently and retaining high British influence until even more recently, is still okay compared to others. South Africa, under Afrikaner rule until 30 years ago, remains the best country to visit. Here you can have a first-world experience, free from crime or harassment, and enjoy an amazing trip, as long as you stay in the “right” areas. It’s like a first-world (private) country existing inside a typical African hellhole. Africa is the most blessed continent on Earth. Its natural riches and resource reserves make the rest of the world pale in comparison. Given its location and wealth, Sub-Saharan Africa should, by far, be the richest and most prosperous region on Earth. Yet the people make it impossible to achieve any level of prosperity. It is so bad that one can only conclude Africans are cursed by a higher power to keep them from achieving anything. No other explanation makes logical sense. After World War II, Poland and Germany were as destitute as many African countries in terms of GDP per capita, and Germany also had a massive reparations debt to pay. Yet these countries were rebuilt in just one or two generations. Many African nations are now in their fourth or fifth generation of full independence, and with each new generation, things only grow worse.