I am Johan Fourie, a South African economic historian. I am Professor of Economics and Chair of Economics, History and Policy at Stellenbosch University, where I also direct LEAP, the Laboratory for the Economics of Africa’s Past. I teach economic history to undergraduate and graduate students and regularly publish on the subject, both academically (through journal articles and book chapters) and popularly (here).
You can find more information about me at johanfourieza.github.io.
Why subscribe?
By subscribing, you will receive my weekly Monday posts for free. I write a bi-weekly column for the largest South African news site, News24 (paywalled), and a monthly column for LitNet (in Afrikaans). These are republished on my blog in English for free subscribers.
I also have a paid subscription option. In addition to all the free posts, paid subscribers will receive full access to my Friday posts. These posts may include columns published elsewhere (for example, Business Day or Rapport), summaries of my research or topics I find interesting. A paid subscription allows me to dedicate more time to writing, and I appreciate all the support. In addition, you will receive full access to my podcasts with prominent scholars of African development.
What’s in a name?
Our Long Walk is taken from my first book, Our Long Walk to Economic Freedom, an entertaining and accessible economic history spanning everything from the human migration out of Africa 100 000 years ago to the Covid-19 pandemic. Written from an African perspective, it covers complex debates about the roots and reasons for prosperity, the march of opportunity versus the crushing boot of exploitation, and why the builders of societies – rather than the burglars – ultimately win out.
Says Anne McCants, professor of history at MIT:
‘Johan Fourie’s commitment to understanding the historical roots of prosperity and ensuring its wide distribution in the future makes this one of the most humane economic histories I have read.’
For more information, visit www.johanfourie.com/ourlongwalk.
