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Africa needs access to markets.

Like its agriculture, Africa's markets are highly under-capitalized and inefficient. We know from our work around the continent that transaction costs of reaching the market, and the risks of transacting in rural, agriculture markets, are extremely high. In fact, only one third of agricultural output produced in Africa even reaches the market.

One of the challenges for sub-Saharan Africa is that markets are of modest size. This makes regional integration important.

There is a lot of things to weigh up when a transfer happens, and money is a big factor.

One of the things that Africa needs, everybody seems to agree, is some measure of debt relief.

Africa is not for the weak-hearted: infrastructure issues are there. The middle class is absent in most of the countries. We have to cater to the low end of the market to grow.

Billions of dollars are thrown at African countries.

When your economy is subject to the whims of Libya and Nigeria and Venezuela, you have a problem.

What I have said to my team is that at a point such as this, with 40% adjustment in our currency, it means that Malawians are paying the price. While that is going on, they need to see, us, the commitment on our part, particularly right at the top. The political will needs to go through this with the people, side by side.