From the small countries like the Seychelles to the medium ones like the Ivory Coast and the emerging economies such as South Africa, this work looks at the economic governance and political classes of the African continent, with particular focus on the first decade of the 21st century. The reader gets a peek at the varying views of presidents and prime ministers on the one hand and opposition leaders on the other hand; lifestyles of the working class champions and the peasants are also evaluated. Africa : a miner's canary into the 21st century is a product of the author's numerous travels through the length and breadth of the continent, either alone or in the company of a former African leader, President John Agyekum Kufuor of Ghana.