What Is the Cheetah Generation?

Creating the Prosperous Future Africa Deserves

Sometimes, I get discouraged in my mission to promote African prosperity. It can feel like an uphill battle with enemies on all sides, and honestly, I get tired of fighting misconceptions, prejudices, anger, and fear.

But when I reach this pessimistic point, I think back to one day in 2007 when I watched Africa’s possible future open up before my eyes. It gives me the fuel I need to carry on. 

I was in Arusha, Tanzania, at a meeting of TED Global, as one of a hundred Africans who had been chosen to join the first cohort of TED Fellows. I got goosebumps when I had the opportunity to see one of my heroes, the Ghanaian economist Dr. George Ayittey, speak his mind about Africa’s hope—a group he called “The Cheetah Generation.” 

In George’s words, the Cheetah Generation is ”a new breed who brook no nonsense about corruption. They understand what accountability and democracy is. . . . They’re not going to wait for the government to do things for them.” 

And most importantly, he continued, “Africa’s salvation rests on their backs.” 

It was electrifying to hear him give voice to the feelings that had already been stirring inside me. And even now, years later, I believe that George was right. 

We cannot rely on the old-fashioned, slow-moving “Hippo Generation,” a.k.a., the ruling elite. The Hippos’ answer to every problem is simple: Give us more foreign aid. Why? So they can steal it. And while they’re lining their pockets with foreign funds, the African population falls deeper and deeper into the hole of dependency, with little hope of finding investors for truly productive programs. 

“The ruling elites are stuck in their intellectual patch, complaining about colonialism and  imperialism,” Ayittey explained. “If you ask them to reform their economies, they’re not going to reform it because they benefit from the rotten status quo.” 

If the Hippos haven’t contributed to African prosperity in generations, why do so many people seem to think they’re going to start contributing now? Why are so many people convinced that the same old aid tactics will suddenly create different results? Isn’t that the definition of insanity—doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?

No. Our hope doesn’t lie with the Hippos. 

We must lift ourselves out of poverty.  And the way we do that is by being Cheetahs.

Cheetahs don’t relate to the old colonialist paradigm or to Africa’s postcolonial nationalist leaders like Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta, Kenneth Kaunda, or Julius Nyerere. We know that our leaders are corrupt and that bad governance has been the source of many of Africa’s problems. 

We’re firm believers in accountability, human rights, and transparency. We have faith in the power of the private sector. We are problem solvers and entrepreneurs—and we aren’t content to sit and wait, hoping that a government or NGO will miraculously fix African poverty. 

We’re proactive. We’re strong, fierce, innovative, and committed to excellence. We’re not cowed by opposition, naysayers, or the false promises of the status quo. 

We want the government to get out of our way so we can take leaps and bounds, bringing success, prosperity, and hope to all Africans. 

We are job creators. Innovators. Visionaries. Dreamers. 

We Cheetahs are the fast runners who will create the prosperous future Africa deserves. 

Yes, sometimes our muscles get tired, and the run can feel like it will never end. But I know that our hearts and energy are moving in the right direction. 

Run this race with me. Be a part of the Cheetah Generation and bring Africa’s Bright Future into the present.