Johannesburg — AFRICA faces huge opportunities for growth and modernisation in a generation, which are essential if Africa is to reinvent itself and undo its shameful post-colonial legacy of the last three decades.

There is commitment to help Africa make it from where it matters. For example, Africa is set to occupy centre stage at the Group of Eight summit in Canada next month. This, combined with current media interest on the plight of the continent, should ensure that Africa is at the centre of global public opinion.

After September 11 some feared that Africa's peripheral position economically, and its political and geostrategic insignificance internationally, would wipe it off the radar screen of mainstream international affairs. That has not happened.

However, Africa faces huge challenges which require sound and effective strategic responses to help it reinvent itself.

First, a response to violent conflict is needed. Conflict is not only appalling but also retards growth and development. It costs Africa 2% of growth each year, says the World Bank. Africa needs sustained growth of 6%-7% over a period of 10 to 15 years to alleviate its poverty.

As many as 20% of Africans are affected by violent conflict. Refugee problems are significant. and impose additional burdens on impoverished African countries. A fair distribution of the refugee burden worldwide is required. Rich countries should be required to accept more refugees.

The right to the basic necessities of life should be made a global public good. Countries need to stand shoulder to shoulder to ensure its equitable and fair distribution internationally.

It also makes sense as most western countries would require an inflow of immigrants within the next 50 years to sustain current levels of economic growth.

The international community must assume more responsibility to find solutions to African problems. Human security is a global public good. The security of Africans is as important as that of the thousands of innocent civilians who were killed at the World Trade Centre and in Kosovo.

Furthermore, a carrot and stick approach is required to promote good governance, democracy and accountability.

This is because conflict is unusually an effect rather than a cause of bad governance. Africa will remain an enduring "scar on the conscience of the world" if it continues to be neglected.

Second, Africa needs to diversify its economic base from primary products to value-added manufacturing products and services. Natural resources should be used as a trigger for Africa's long overdue industrial revolution in an increasingly knowledge-based economy.

The contribution of the SA mining industry to the growth of other economic sectors should be a useful point of reference for the rest of the continent. Africa is still stuck in primary product dependence whereas the rest of the developing world has moved on.

For example, 20 years ago 80% of exports from developing countries were primary commodities and only 20% were manufactured commodities. Today the reverse is true. But sadly, not for Africa.

Needless to say reliance on primary commodities is disadvantageous because their prices are prone to external (market) shocks. They may also be associated with poor governance if government elites become too dependent on taxing them and enriching themselves. This may lead to conflict.

Third, Africa needs to create a sustainable investment-friendly climate with comparatively lower costs of doing business and higher returns on investments.

Apart from mining, the cost of doing business in Africa is comparatively high, especially in the manufacturing and agricultural processing sectors.

According to World Bank, Africa has the highest cost of doing business in the world.

This makes Africa less competitive as an investment location. Africa needs to reinvent itself as an investment location of choice by lowering the costs of doing business and creating the right conditions for higher returns on investments.

This is a challenge that needs to be confronted if the ideals of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) are to be realised. Africa needs to reinvent itself and become more assertive in the mainstream spheres of global affairs. This would require a strategic approach to the above issues and, equally importantly, to corruption, education, health, infrastructure and human capital development in general. Nepad is a good start of the journey to Africa's growth and modernisation. Africa must make it.

Africa's challenges require sound and effective strategic responses to help it reinvent itself

Kuseni Dlamini is a research associate with the SA Institute of International Affairs and a member of Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs in the UK.