Even long before the current extreme stratification of America, we heard about two Americas.  Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Michael Harrington and than John Edwards all talked about two nations living side by side.  One of relative middle class ease on the cutting edge of technology and education and another mired in poverty, resistant to or fearing change.

Today, the same can said about Africa. For in spite of much popular imaginary parts of Africa are at the cutting edge of technology and economic development. 

The rise of the African consumer economy is one of the biggest, and most under-covered, stories. In fact, by 2020, seven of the world’s top 10 fastest growing economies will be in sub-Saharan Africa.The continent already has more mobile subscribers than the US or the EU. Alex Perry has covered Africa for years for TIME and NEWSWEEK.  Now he gives us The Rift: A New Africa Breaks Free.

My conversation with Alex Perry: