A woman harvests chilli peppers on a farm as part of an agricultural livelihoods programme supporting rural communities. Photo Credit: Xinhua

NNA News - African countries can strengthen their efforts to reduce poverty by adopting targeted, long-term development strategies tailored to local needs, according to a South African media executive who has studied poverty alleviation programmes abroad.

John Bailey, chief executive officer of South African newspaper Sunday World, said successful poverty reduction depends on political commitment, coordinated planning and policies that create sustainable economic opportunities rather than relying solely on short-term assistance. "It's clear that poverty reduction is most effective when it is targeted, coordinated, and focused on building long-term economic opportunities rather than providing short-term relief alone," Bailey told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Bailey recently completed his fourth visit to northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, where he observed rural development and poverty alleviation initiatives. Before joining Sunday World, he spent nearly a decade based in China as a correspondent for South African broadcaster eNCA.

Drawing on those experiences, Bailey said one of the most valuable lessons for Africa is the importance of identifying the specific needs of households and designing support programmes accordingly. "The striking aspect of China's poverty alleviation policies is the highly targeted, household-by-household approach that identified each poor household individually and provided assistance tailored to its specific needs," he said.

He said programmes aimed at improving the economic participation of women in rural communities also offered useful insights. "These programs stand out because they recognized that women in rural areas often face multiple barriers, including limited education, fewer employment opportunities, traditional gender roles and limited access to finance," Bailey said. He also highlighted the use of household-level data, customised interventions, accountability mechanisms, sustained public investment and continuous monitoring to ensure development programmes achieved measurable results.

For Bailey, however, the most important lesson was leadership. "Poverty can only be eradicated if national leaders are focused, deliberate, and have the political will to address the problems head-on," he said. He stressed that African countries should develop solutions suited to their own economic and social realities rather than replicate another country's model.

According to Bailey, reducing poverty across the continent will require greater investment in infrastructure, education, agriculture, women's economic empowerment and accountable public institutions. "African countries must combine investments in infrastructure, education, agriculture, women's economic empowerment and accountable institutions" to successfully combat poverty, he added.

His remarks come as many African governments continue pursuing development strategies aimed at reducing poverty, creating jobs and expanding opportunities through industrialisation, improved infrastructure and stronger social programmes.