Phew, @kenhudoy, that's quite a response. Botswana's success will lie in their ability to diversify their economy from diamond mining, which actually hasn't contributed as much to their coffers the last few years as in previous decades. On Nyerere, tough call, but ultimately I have to go with the outcome of his policies - Tanzanians starved. Centrist/socialist systems don't work to the benefit of individuals and especially rural dwellers. We have to look at the gross misuse of public funds, and as a resident of South Africa, I don't have to look any further than my front door for how well one family and their group of companies has worked so effectively for over a decade to bleed the South African state dry. No wonder the poor here are still poor. Their money is in the hands of that family, their companies and the corrupt politicians who have been working with them. So I agree with you that effective institutions and development administration are important.