Intelpoint

Morocco has built a commanding lead in Africa’s digital services trade, recording a cumulative surplus of $26.4 billion between 2005 and 2024. This places it far ahead of Mauritius ($8.7 billion) and Tunisia ($4.4 billion), cementing its role as the continent’s most competitive digital exporter. In 2024 alone, Morocco posted a surplus of $3.56 billion, the highest in Africa, ahead of Mauritius ($2.65 billion) and Tunisia ($621 million). Other countries like Kenya ($1.9 billion) and Togo ($1.1 billion) also managed to sustain long-term surpluses, but at much smaller scales. On the flip side, Africa’s largest economies carry the deepest deficits. Nigeria (-$94.5 billion), Angola (-$97.8 billion), and Egypt (-$55.9 billion) have seen decades of heavy outflows on digital services, while South Africa (-$37.2 billion) and Algeria (-$28.4 billion) also rank among the biggest laggards. Morocco’s cumulative strength shows that consistent investment in digital exports—particularly IT-enabled services and outsourcing—can turn the tide, even in a region where the overall trend remains negative.

In 2024, the global copper export market was dominated by Asia and Europe, which together accounted for nearly two-thirds (63%) of the world’s copper export value. Asia led with 31.6%, closely followed by Europe at 31.4%, showing how these two regions anchor the global trade. Africa emerged as the third-largest contributor with 15.3%, highlighting its growing role in a market long shaped by industrial powerhouses. South America (11.1%) and North America (8.6%) also maintained significant positions in the copper export market, with Oceania contributing a relatively small share of 2%. While their portions may be smaller compared to Asia and Europe, they still play critical roles in diversifying global supply.

Copper exports in Africa are heavily concentrated in just a handful of countries, with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia dominating the trade. Together, these two countries control nearly 80% of the continent’s copper export value, underscoring how central they are to Africa’s role in the global copper market. In 2024 alone, the DRC exported $19.8 billion worth of copper—over half of Africa’s total—while Zambia followed with $7.6 billion, accounting for more than a fifth of the total. Beyond the top two, other countries like Tanzania ($2.2 billion), Congo ($1.3 billion), and South Africa ($1.1 billion) also play key roles, though at much smaller scales. While 52 African countries export copper, just 10 of them control 98% of the continent’s copper export value, leaving the other 42 countries with a combined share of only $0.7 billion.

From 2005-2024, Egypt exported a total of $46.007 billion in digital services. During the same period, imports were much higher, amounting to $101.98 billion, resulting in a substantial trade deficit of $55.973 billion. In 2005, Egypt’s exports in digital services stood at just $1.91 billion. By 2024, exports had more than doubled to $4.03 billion, reflecting upward momentum. However, imports in 2024 alone was $8.31 billion, more than twice the export value. This ratio illustrates Egypt’s heavy reliance on foreign digital solutions and platforms. The rising demand for imports reflects the strength of Egypt’s domestic digital consumption. Yet, the slower pace of export growth highlights structural weaknesses in the competitiveness of local providers. The trade deficit of $55.973 billion represents a significant outflow of value over two decades. This imbalance raises concerns about Egypt’s ability to capture value in the global digital economy.

South Africa’s digital services trade between 2005 and 2024 shows a persistent imbalance. Over this 20-year period, the country exported $76.4 billion in digital services, while imports were significantly higher at $113.7 billion. The result was a trade deficit of $37.3 billion, underscoring South Africa’s dependence on foreign digital services. In 2005, exports were modest at $1.7 billion. By 2024, they had grown to $7.1 billion, reflecting steady expansion. Yet imports consistently outpaced exports, limiting the overall benefits of export growth. On average, South Africa exported $3.8 billion annually in digital services during these two decades, compared with average annual imports of $5.7 billion. This persistent gap highlights structural challenges in the digital economy and service provision sector. While export growth shows that South Africa has built competitive capacity in certain digital niches, rising imports point to strong domestic demand for foreign platforms and solutions. Encouraging investment in local platforms could reduce reliance on imports, while expanding export markets would help boost foreign exchange earnings. Ultimately, South Africa’s digital services trade tells a story of growth overshadowed by imbalance.

Africa’s goat population has expanded more than fivefold, from an estimated 94 million in 1961 to 522 million in 2023. Over the same period, the continent’s global share rose from 27% to 46% — meaning nearly one in two goats worldwide is now raised in Africa. Within the continent, goat keeping is highly concentrated. About 70% of Africa’s goats are found in just ten countries. Nigeria leads with nearly 89 million goats, almost one in six of the continental total, and has remained the herd leader since 1998. Other long-time major producers include Chad, Sudan, Niger, and Mali. Meanwhile, smaller countries such as Malawi, Sierra Leone, and Burundi have grown their herds rapidly since 2000, while Egypt and South Africa have seen gradual declines.

Wildfires are a global issue, but Africa stands out as the epicentre. Since 2012, the continent has consistently accounted for more than 55% of the world’s wildfire-affected areas. This dominance underscores the vulnerability of Africa’s vast savannahs, grasslands, and forest ecosystems to these natural disasters. In contrast, no other region comes close to this level of concentration. North and South America follow as the second most affected, with wildfire shares fluctuating between 15% and 25%. Asia has remained steady at around 10%, while Europe and Oceania each contribute just 5% annually. This pattern shows that while wildfires occur across all continents, their scale in Africa is uniquely outsized. The implications are significant: biodiversity loss, disruptions to livelihoods, and economic challenges, particularly in rural areas where communities depend heavily on land and vegetation for survival.

Ghana’s digital services trade between 2005 and 2024 showed a remarkable rise. Exports grew from just $78 million in 2005 to $5.18 billion in 2024. Over the 20-year period, Ghana accumulated $49.11 billion in exports. Imports, however, stood slightly higher at $53.00 billion, leaving the country with a trade deficit of $3.9 billion across the two decades. This deficit is relatively small when compared to the size of its economy. It also shows Ghana’s digital exports are expanding steadily, highlighting the country’s increasing role in the digital economy. Compared to Nigeria, Ghana is performing stronger in balancing its digital trade. Its deficit is modest, and its exports are growing faster. Nigeria, though larger in population and economy, remains import-heavy. The contrast shows Ghana is better positioned to harness digital opportunities.

Africa’s millionaire landscape is dominated by South Africa and Egypt, which together account for more than half of the continent’s wealthy individuals. South Africa leads with 41,100 millionaires, followed by Egypt with 14,800. However, when looked at as a share of the national adult population, smaller countries like Seychelles and Mauritius stand out, showing that wealth distribution takes on very different forms across the continent. A striking fact is that Seychelles, despite having only about 500 millionaires, boasts the highest millionaire density on the continent, with 0.51% of its adult population classified as millionaires. Mauritius follows closely with 0.45%. This contrast highlights how smaller, service-driven economies can achieve high wealth concentrations relative to their size.

South Africa dominated the continent’s insurance market in 2023, accounting for more than two-thirds (68.2%) of the total share. The next-largest players, Morocco (8.7%), Egypt (4.0%), and Kenya (3.6%), lagged far behind, together contributing less than a fifth of the market. This reveals a stark imbalance, where South Africa almost single-handedly defines the size and scale of Africa’s insurance sector. Interestingly, some of Africa’s largest economies, including Nigeria and Algeria, remain underrepresented, with market shares of just 1.7% and 1.9%, respectively. Even when combined with Tunisia, Ghana, Namibia, and Côte d'Ivoire, their collective contribution remains small compared to South Africa’s. This concentration highlights both the growth potential across the rest of the continent and the entrenched maturity of South Africa’s insurance industry.