Sihlongonyane, Mfaniseni2013-04-222013-04-222000Sihlongonyane, Mfaniseni. The Invisible Hand of the Family in the Underdevelopment of Africa Societies: An African Perspective. Scholarly Papers Series: AFRICA - 1. www.gdrc.org/icm/country/scholarly/fanafrica.htmlhttp://hdl.handle.net/10539/12673The main thrust of the argument in this paper is that underdevelopment of African countries lies with the differences between the Eurocentric and African values. As Eurocentric values informs the development paradigm and planning models in African societies, the models of development have become conformist depriving African societies of self-reliance and self-determinism. The result has been dependence and underdevelopment of African societies through exploitation on the basis of cultural deprivation. Therefore, the dependence and underdevelopment of African societies is a function of the marginalisation and undermining of African values to an extent that underdevelopment of the African societies becomes a function of capital penetration and affluence through unfavourable division of labour, trade and exchange systems that are informed by world dominating values which are inimical to African values.enUnderdevelopment, Africa Societies, African perspective.Article