Decades of support have done little for the continent’s development, Vince Musewe argues
Foreign aid has long been presented as a solution to Africa’s economic and social challenges, but it has failed to deliver tangible results, according to Vince Musewe, a Zimbabwean economist and business development strategist.
In an interview with RT, Musewe pointed out that despite over $2.6 trillion in aid having gone to Africa since 1960, the continent continues to grapple with poverty, unemployment, and inadequate infrastructure.
“The numbers actually say that there is more money going out of Africa than coming in,” Musewe explained, estimating that the continent loses around $40 billion annually through aid-related transactions. He criticized the conditional nature of Western aid, which often requires recipient countries to use foreign contractors and suppliers, making the process more of “a business kind of transaction” than genuine assistance. This approach, he argued, fosters dependency rather than development.
As an example, Musewe highlighted the health sector in Zimbabwe, where reliance on foreign aid has created instability. The withdrawal of US aid, he noted, led to job losses and shortages of essential medicines.
When asked how African nations could break free from this cycle of dependency, Musewe stressed that achieving financial independence would take time and require major structural changes. The first step, he said, would be to improve tax collection by expanding employment opportunities and strengthening domestic industries.
The economist also underscored the need to combat corruption, noting that much of the money meant for development never reaches its intended recipients. “I think out of every dollar, 80 cents goes towards administrative kind of issues, and 20 cents really touches the ground,” he said.
Musewe called for better governance structures, increased transparency, and stronger accountability measures, particularly from parliaments and civil society.
While the road to self-sufficiency may be long, Musewe maintained that Africa must build internal capacity and move away from a reliance on aid that has historically failed to deliver meaningful progress.
In February, the US Embassy in Zimbabwe announced that it had paused aid programs and was reviewing its initiatives to align with a new executive order. Meanwhile, the US government declared that it would terminate 90% of contracts under the US Agency for International Development (USAID). US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who heads the recently established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), have repeatedly accused USAID of misusing taxpayer money and fostering corruption.
