Africa does not have a consumption problem. It has a production problem. And every household in Dar es Salaam, Kampala, Kigali, and Kinshasa pays for it daily.
A 210-litre refrigerator costs about 200–400 dollars in China. In Tanzania, the same product often reaches 500 to 700 dollars. Cement, solar panels, and vehicles follow the same pattern.
This is not about people making poor financial decisions. It is the structure of an economy that imports almost everything it consumes.
Every product carries shipping costs, customs duties, port charges, VAT, clearing fees, and distributor margins before it reaches the final buyer.
China built systems that made production cheaper at scale. Until African economies build similar productive depth, households will keep paying global prices with local incomes.