To what extent have the economic vitality and demographic growth of the first ten years of the 2000s changed Africa’s social situation? Some indicators affirm the emergence of a “middle class,” which represents an escape from extreme poverty and the achievement of some prosperity. Politically, this better-educated, emerging group can push democratic institutions toward change. Some argue that two phenomena—the rising middle class and urbanization—will spark a virtuous circle: more consumers create larger markets, a real estate boom, and an economy underpinned by banking services. Others believe that an increasingly individualistic and consumption-driven middle class may foster acculturation and the loss of certain values, such as solidarity.