What kind of structures determine national debt in the developing world? Most countries in the world operate on debt, with some of the world’s richest countries acquiring the largest debt. Despite this, the debt of countries in the developing world is often described as unsustainable. For the sub-continent of Sub-Saharan Africa, national debt is commonly attributed to government corruption. In this presentation, I question the narratives that paint corruption as the elephant in the room elephant in the room and argue that colonization has had a larger impact on the debt carried by Sub-Saharan African countries than is commonly perceived.