Africa has seen an extraordinary rebound in economic growth over the past decade. Some of the world’s fastest-growing economies are in Africa, and they have expanded even during the ongoing uncertainty in the global economy. This has brought a much-needed reduction in poverty in the region and a renewed sense of optimism about its future. There is no doubt that economic growth is critical for human development, and growth must be sustained. But growth per se is not enough. As this first United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Africa Human Development Report shows, rapid economic progress in Africa has not brought food security for the substantial proportion of the population still gripped by hunger. The importance of an approach to development that includes economic growth but also goes beyond it—and that puts people firmly at the centre of development—has been a key message of UNDP’s Human Development Reports since their inception in 1990.