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THE WORLD'S SECOND-MOST POPULOUS CONTINENT HOLDS GREAT PROMISE AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, BUT ALSO GREAT CHALLENGES — LEGALLY AND OTHERWISE. BY PAUL BRENT A s the world's second-most populous continent and blessed with abundant mineral riches, Africa holds great promise and economic opportunity. But those opportunities must also be mentioned and measured along with Africa's many challenges: its division into 50 often fractious nations, frequent wars and civil strife, a stubborn history of corruption and inef- ficiency, and the deepest poverty anywhere on the planet. It's fair to say Africa is the toughest place in the world to do business. The continent's many and varied issues have not stopped investors from the rest of the world, and the legal firms that represent them, from being increas- ingly active there. While Africa's development lagged during the past century, it appears to be catching up. Spurred by investment and economic development by first- and second-world nations, China being the most notable among the second group, the continent's economy grew nearly five per cent in 2010. Even with a civil war in Libya and civil unrest in Tunisia and Egypt this year, growth should come in at 3.7 per cent this year, according to an estimate by the African Development Bank Group. Canadian law firms are increasingly active in Africa, due to Canada's promi- nent role in providing a public market for mining and energy companies as well as its experience with foreign infrastructure programs. It's not easy, how- ever, to gauge that activity by counting law offices there. Although Canadian www.CANADIAN Lawyermag.com OCTO BER 2011 27 JAcqui oAKley