African countries are facing a growing public debt problem, with debt levels doubling since 2014. The type of debt is also changing from concessional to market-based loans. The quality of institutions and policies in African countries has not improved enough to sustain higher debt levels. Debt markets may not understand Africa well before the next crisis, and recent defaults have not been resolved orderly. To prevent another debt crisis, African governments need to be transparent about debt, be realistic about growth forecasts, and carefully manage infrastructure investments. It is recommended that governments treat increases in commodity prices as temporary, compare costs of borrowing with taxation, and avoid using short-term foreign money for long-term projects.