Bingo! Look at what tribalism is doing to the current Republican Party and the Conservative movement.
Tribalism, corruption, absence of cold winters - Aesop's "The Ant and the Grasshopper" - (although long dry seasons and frequent drought in some parts of Africa have a similar effect).
The spread of the Gospel and its work ethic are a major factor in improving culture and standard of living, though the Far East also has made great progress.
Culture is the major impediment. I've had old Ugandans ask me, "Please, when are the British coming back". A man in Mali once told me, "What this country really needs is re-colonization!" Back in the early 1980's, a white South African friend asked one of his Black friends if prosperity would continue after the whites were gone. When told, "No", he asked why. "Because we won't have the white man's #9 boot in our backsides to motivate us to work!"
Individual Africans are capable of amazing accomplishments, even while still immersed in their village culture. I urge everyone to read William Kamkwamba's "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind."
However, the bottom line is that all of these factors do not fully explain the vast differences between Africa and the rest of the world.
Is Detroit the product of race, geography, political philosophy, "ghetto" culture, individual and systemic corruption...?
A tale of two cities: Windsor and Detroit murder rates show stark contrast
Just like Europe, South Africa, which despite it’s troubles is still head and shoulders above any other African country, is having problems with refugees coming in from the rest of the continent.