While sustained growth has contributed significantly to rapid economic transformation in Asia and Latin America, in Africa it has been observed that relatively high growth rates have contributed very little to job creation and in lifting the largest segment of the population out of poverty. Although there has been growth in exports and value over time, there has been a declining African export share in global value chains, pointing to Africa’s reduced competitiveness in these sub-sectors. Despite decades of protectionism of Africa’s manufacturing sector, its share of manufactured goods remains low. The service sector continues to be promising but is faced with stiff competition from the more developed world where tourism and hospitality industry is more robust. Africa’s significant agricultural and natural resources are being exploited and exported mostly in their raw form, with little or no value added to commodity exports. Some of these natural resources represent irreplaceable, non-renewable assets, and their exploitation needs to be monitored while also recognizing that generally it has weak economic linkages to the rest of the economy.