Thanks for your clarification. It just didn’t sound right! You were too subtle for me.... ;-)
Look at it this way. Could we invade and conquer most African countries, loot the place and turn a profit?
Of course not. You don’t get rich looting places that are dirt poor. In fact, most African countries usually can’t afford dirt.
Many Africans were actually quite prosperous in the 16th and 17th centuries. They thrived on the export trade.
Of course, they were exporting Africans.