<div>There is much reason to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the African Union. The immediate reason is the recently concluded elections in Kenya. The much feared violence did not occur. The two protagonists have displayed a lot of maturity in dealing with the wafer thin margin of election results. Nobody is taking to the streets with guns to celebrate or protest the results. <br /><br />An economic power house of the continent, Kenya is a great symbol of how countries in the region have matured politically. There are more than 25 democracies in the continent of 55 countries. Many more hold elections with varying degrees of efficiency and transparency. <br /><br />Every passing year gets better for the continent which has a vibrant community of countries that are taking unique paths to growth, development and democracy. <br /><br />In May 1963, the Organisation of African Union (OAU) was established with 32 governments to promote African Unity. It was transformed into African Union (AU) in 2001 and now has 54 members. OAU’s original goal was to promote unity and fight colonialism. But with time, <br />AU has evolved to focusing on protecting democratic, human and economic rights. Armed conflict in Africa has reduced to a fraction of what it used to be.<br /><br />Most countries are not reducing their dependence on aid while investing in their economic abilities. Technology and telecom have been eagerly absorbed by people from Lagos to Dar es Salaam. It is easy to surf the net in almost all the countries from mobile phones. The rising profile of the civil society is at once helping democracy and economy. <br /><br />As vocal and connected civil society, many volunteer groups keep watch on elections and democratic processes. Increasingly empowered women are playing a huge role in this distributed movement. This internal support is more effective than external pressure by countries seen as former colonialists. <br /><br />The connected sections of society are also eager consumers who are coalescing into a growing middle class. Companies from across the world have not realized the potential and importance of this class. But will now have to compete with domestic entrepreneurs who are growing more confident. <br /><br />While the western influence remains and the Chinese impact grows, most African consumers are discerning enough to seek domestic brands and products to cater to their specific needs. <br /><br />India has been focusing on the economic and social infrastructure by investing in utilities and skill building activity. But there is much scope for companies from India to establish their products and brands. <br /><br />Most Indian companies are so focused on the domestic market, that they have not realized the importance of tying up with African entrepreneurs. These companies will have to move away from a trading mindset to set up local manufacturing. This is much like the global companies who came in early to India and set up factories. <br /><br />Agriculture sector is critical for Africa and foreign investors. A recent World Bank report says that Africa can feed itself if some regional barriers can be removed. So food crises may soon be history if the right polices are implemented. Other experts say that Africa has the potential to be the bread basket to the world with its vast swathes of fertile lands. <br /><br />The first 50 years of AU were tough. The next 50 will be exciting. The EU seems to be facing more problems than the AU. There are many challenges for AU, but they appear far more manageable than ever before. <br /><br /><em>(Pranjal Sharma is a senior business writer. He can be contacted at pranjalx@gmail.com</em>)<br /> </div>
