JOHANNESBURG, June 9 (Xinhua) -- There is evidence that the current opportunity for Africa to benefit from the commodity boom will not be frittered away like before, South African President Thabo Mbeki said on Monday.

    Opening the Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics, Mbeki said everyone had observed the recent exciting growth trend in Africa.

    "For some, this may appear to be the result of the impact of a commodity price boom," he said.

    These people might expect African economies to slow down and run into difficulties at the end of the boom, as many did after the boom of the 1960's and early 1970's, including South Africa.

    "But I am certain that those of us who have looked more closely at the development of Africa would have seen that there is evidence that the current opportunities to benefit from a commodity boom will not be frittered away as they were before, at least not by all countries."

    Mbeki said there were various reasons pointing to the fact that the current growth acceleration in Africa would be sustained by a number of countries.