Economic Activities
Introduction |
1. Africa has the worst economy in the world and is the poorest inhabited continent. 2. Overall, Africa's economy is rising slowly, but only about 1 to 2 percent per year. ~Over 36 percent of Africa’s population lives on under a dollar per day. 3. Starvation and famine also continue to rise in Africa, not because food isn't available but, because of low income and no purchasing power. 4. There are three major economic sectors that can be found throughout Africa. ~Primary ~Secondary ~ Tertiary |
Primary Sector |
Use of Basic Materials
1. The Primary Sector is the portion of the country’s economy that relies on basic natural resources like mining, fishing, agriculture and forestry. 2. Productivity and reliability varies in these industries because they depend on weather and natural elements (fertile soil, rain, no droughts). 3. They are also dependent upon exchange rates and other industries to set their prices, because the manufactures have more economic pull than, you, as a farmer. 4. Mining is a major industry in Africa, due to the global demand for diamonds, coal, and gold. All of these jobs and industries fall in the primary economic sector. 5. Primary Sector Workers often work for extremely low wages, or bring in zero money if they are working on their own land. 6. To move out of the primary sector and into the secondary sector is the hardest of all moves, as you have no way to earn or save money. |
Secondary Sector
Processing sector
1. The Secondary Sector is made up of activities that process basic materials obtained by the primary sector, and turn them into products. ~An example would be coal transformed into energy. 2. The secondary sector in Africa has grown at a steady pace since 1999, but Africa, as a continent, is not keeping up with worldwide improvements. 3. Africa has a large selection of manufacturing consisting of textiles, clothing, footwear, and the manufacturing of basic woods and metals. 4. Electricity, gas, and water industries in the secondary sectors have fluctuated markedly over the past 10 years. ~They appear to be very sensitive to changing economic trends. 5. Secondary Sector workers typically work long hours in dangerous jobs. 6. Most workers learn a trade or skill from a family member. A ~though wages are earned, it is rarely enough to be considered wealthy. 7. Most secondary workers in Africa are above the poverty line, however they could easily fall back into poverty. |
Tertiary Sector
Service sector
1. The tertiary sector consists of a range of service activities and has grown strongly in the country of South Africa since 1994. ~ Services related to transport, storage, communication, real estate, 2. General government services have showed the lowest growth over the past decade. 3. The growth in the hospitality industry, represented by hotels and restaurants, indicates the growing importance of tourism in South Africa. 4. Although it is defined as a tertiary sector activity, tourism in South Africa depends directly on the country’s natural resource and its conservation and biodiversity base, reinforcing the need for management practices that conserve the nation’s environmental resources. 5. Although South Africa is seeing a large increase in Tertiary Sectors, the rest of the African Continent does not have a large tertiary sector. 6. Tertiary Sector Workers go to work and do not usually ‘make’ anything, but it is a job done for someone else. ~Poor countries cant afford to have people go to work and not ‘make anything’ |
Quaternary Activities
Information Sector
1. The quaternary sector typically includes information-generating and sharing industries, including:
|