Sub Saharan Africa is set to out-perform other emerging regions.

We’ve seen the pound devalue, the naira suffer, US banks go under and even just in the UK, hundreds of thousands of redundancies have been announced, while globally experts are predicting another one to three years of recession.

But what of Africa? The question is whether the ‘marginalized continent’ is going to benefit from its lack of interdependence and connections to the rest of the global market.

Or is it? Perhaps the question should be whether Africa – as a destination for business, tourism, resources, skills and innovation – is an opportunity that can still offer growth despite the financial crisis.

The Economist Intelligence Unit Global Growth league table for 2009 forecasts that Sub-Saharan Africa will perform better than other emerging regions. Fully 15 of the 20 top-performing economies in 2009 are in Africa. Several African nations will actually buck the global trend and experience a pick-up in real GDP growth, the EIU forecasts.

That includes Malawi estimated to grow at 8.3%, Angola at 8.2% and Ethiopia at 7.5% compared to China at 7.5% - and the US at -1%!

Even as I travel around Africa I can sense the difference. In London we are constantly reminded of the slump with empty shop fronts, constant sale signs, dismal headlines and an ongoing discourse around how long the recession might last. In Cape Town, for example, there is still an optimism and upbeat atmosphere around ‘business as usual’. Africa still faces huge challenges, but these obstacles are not new, and are not caused by the global economic downturn. So while Africa is not immune, I certainly feel buoyed up and encouraged by the opportunity in Africa and the potential for growth in 2009 and beyond.