Abstract

Across Africa, a burgeoning middle class has become the poster child for the 'Africa rising' narrative. Ambitious, aspirational and increasingly affluent, this group is said to embody the values and hopes of the new Africa, with international bodies ranging from the United Nations Development Programme to the World Bank regarding them as important agents of both economic development and democratic change. This narrative, however, obscures the complex and often ambiguous role that this group actually plays in African societies.

Bringing together economists, political scientists, anthropologists and development experts, and spanning a variety of case studies from across the continent, this collection provides a much-needed corrective to the received wisdom within development circles, and provides a fresh perspective on social transformations in contemporary Africa.

Henning Melber, a political scientist and sociologist, is the van Zyl Slabbert visiting professor for sociology and political sciences at the University of Cape Town. He is senior advisor at the Nordic Africa Institute and the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, having previously held directorships in both institutions. He is also extraordinary professor at the Department of Political Sciences of the University of Pretoria and the Centre for Africa Studies at the University of the Free State, as well as a senior research fellow at the Institute for Commonwealth Studies at the University of London. From 1992 to 2000, he was director of the Namibian Economic Policy Research Unit (NEPRU).

Melber has been co-editor of the Africa Yearbook since its first publication in 2005, is managing co-editor of Africa Spectrum and editor-in-chief of the Strategic Review for Southern Africa. His latest publications include (as co-editor) Peace Diplomacy, Global Justice and International Agency (2014) and (as author) Understanding Namibia (2015) and A Decade of Namibia (2016).

‘A very timely work with an impressive empirical width, and a sharp, well-referenced analytical edge.’
Göran Therborn, author of Cities of Power

‘As this empirically grounded book richly demonstrates, there would be little left to write home about being middle class, even by modest African standards, if middle class Africans were to seriously consider including fellow citizens in the personal success they are credited with.’
Francis B. Nyamnjoh, University of Cape Town

‘Subjects recent hype about the rise of the middle class in Africa to sceptical and critical analysis. An essential read for all engaging with the middle classes in development debate.’
Gordon Crawford, Coventry University

‘This intellectually ambitious and innovative collection combines sophisticated analysis with detailed case studies. Timely and hugely relevant, it marks a leap forward in our understanding of the middle classes.’
Uma Kothari, University of Manchester

‘The first systematic examination of the concept of an African middle class. It provides a valuable conceptual discussion along with in-depth case studies. This timely and critical analysis also offers meaningful alternative interpretations of the major social transformations taking place.’
Dominique Darbon, Sciences Po Bordeaux

'A worthy addition to the landmark Africa Now series of books produced by Uppsala’s Nordic Africa Institute and Zed Books.'
Canadian Journal of African Studies

'This readable set of essays offers nuance throughout … the overarching theme that unites this collection is an original analysis of how to define, measure and understand the changing cultural, political and economic identity of those Africans in between the elites and the destitute.'
Journal of Southern African Studies

'The Rise of Africa’s Middle Class bursts with argument … is comprehensive in its review of the existing literature on the concept of the middle class, as well as its engagement with conventional definitions often used by economists. It goes beyond empirical data to offer theoretical reflections and perspectives of values.'
South African Journal of International Affairs

'Polemic, bold, engaging and an excellent read … a worthwhile critical compendium of information not only on Africa’s middle class but on sustainable social, cultural, economic, and political change in Africa.'
African Studies Quarterly

'Its combination of broader regional approaches and case studies from six countries provides an unprecedented overview of the relationships between contemporary economic, political and social circumstances and local constructions of class. … a valuable read.'
Journal of Modern African Studies

'This is a much-needed addition to the literature on the political mobilization of the middle class … the empirically rich insights into diverse middle-class phenomena highlight the conceptual challenge of the middle-class label.'
Africa Today

'Sorting fact from fiction, Melber brings together experts and examines a variety of case studies. The end result is a much more nuanced analysis of Africa's middle class and a fresh look at societal transformations in contemporary Africa.'
New African

'A solid academic work.'
Ny Tid