In contrast to the prediction of mainstream economists, African wealth and income inequality, while already being among the highest in the world, is worsening. Government responses in Sub-Saharan Africa have often exacerbated this crisis by cutting public spending on social services such as health, education, and water. Inequality issues have thus become increasingly important in academic and policy circles. Notwithstanding the wide range of literature on the historical roots of the current economic performance and rising inequalities in Africa, wealth inequality-focused research remains limited in Africa. The wealth divide is important to understanding inequality because it is a product of and feeds into the maldistribution of income".