African economies growing slowly - IMF

African countries are set for higher economic growth in 2007, a positive sign but a small step toward pulling the continent’s people out of poverty, an International Monetary Fund official said.

IMF assistant director for Africa Sanjeev Gupta said high prices for a range of commodities are driving the continent’s economies toward 5.9% growth in gross domestic product for sub-Saharan Africa next year – a full percentage point increase over 2006 estimates.