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Africa Moves from Potential to Production

December 30, 2025

GOOD NEWS FROM AFRICA

The real story of 2025 was welded, stitched, and processed in Africa!

While global markets simmered, African countries rank in the list of the fastest growing economies on the global growth map.

Countries	GDP Growth	Growth Drivers
South Sudan	~>20%	Exports, Oil Production Recovery
Senegal	~8.6%	Agriculture, Oil & Gas, Infrastructure
Uganda	~7.2%	Infrastructure, Public Investment, Oil Sector
Rwanda	~7.1%	Manufacturing, ICT, Tourism
Benin	~6.6%	Agriculture, Port Investments
Ethiopia	~7.2%	Agriculture, Construction
Tanzania	~6.0%	Solar & Coal Projects
Ivory Coast	~6.4%	Construction, Infrastructure, Agriculture

1.

Investment in mega construction projects in Egypt reached about ~$77 Billion+.
(COMESA UNCTAD Investment Report 2025)

2.

Foreign investment in COMESA’s construction sector surged almost five-fold in 2024, the momentum continued in 2025. (UNCTAD)

3.

Afrieximbank financing SEZs across Africa
Magwero Industrial Park in Malawi, Dongo Kundu Industrial Park, Naivasha SEZ II in Kenya, GDIZ (Benin), PIA (Togo), and more.

4.

Vision Invest joined Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) as a key shareholder in Arise IIP, executing one of the largest private infrastructure transactions.

5.

Africa’s e-mobility sector hit a record $100M investment with SPIRO (the largest EV company in Africa).

6.

Arise IIP and Ogun Estate, Nigeria announced a $2Billion pact to build Africa’s largest garment manufacturing hub.

7.

Intra-African Trade is on the rise. Kenya’s exports to Rwanda surged 240% in Oct 2024 alone. (Kenyan wall street, Trendsnafrica)

8.

China-Africa bilateral trade hit USD 72.6 Billion 2.7% y-o-y showing continued growth. (www.fmprc.gov.cn)

9.

UAE announced a USD 1Bn initiative to expand AI infrastructure and AI-enabled services across Africa in the G20 Leaders' Summit. (connectingafrica.com)

10.

Tata Advanced Systems inaugurated India’s first Defence Manufacturing Facility in Morocco.

RISING CONSUMER PURCHASING POWER

Africa’s 60%+ GDP spent on household consumption.
Credit card ownership stands at 42% for Genz, matching the 43% rate among millennials.
A considerable double-digits rise in spends on preventive healthcare.
Robust unmet demand for locally made FMCG, agro-processed food, clothes. and construction materials. (S&P Global)

THE SECTOR WATCH

TEXTILES: The "Made in Africa" Revolution

Benin (GDIZ): Cotton processing scaled to 98,000 tons.
GDIZ Benin & PIA Togo: Exporting garments to major US & EU brands.
H&M, Zara, U.S. Polo Assn. signal strong trust in Africa.

AGRO-PROCESSING

Cashew, cocoa, and soya processing expanding at GDIZ Benin & PIA Togo.
Rwanda's Agro-processed Goods & Horticulture exports up by 6.9%.

Production by countries:

1. Cocoa: Ghana, Ivory Coast

2. Cashew: Benin, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Tanzania

3. Soya / Oilseeds: Nigeria, Benin, Tanzania, parts of Kenya

4. Horticulture: Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania

5. Agro-processed foods: Rwanda

FORESTRY/WOOD PROCESSING

Gabon (GSEZ) continues to lead the world in sustainable timber/veneer, and plywood exports.
Gabon launched its logging truck monitoring centre to log each truck in real time.

AUTOMOTIVE

Kenya: Manufacturing Output ~8% (auto assembly & construction materials) eg. SPIRO e-mobility.
SPIRO plans to deploy 100,000+ bikes by end 2025 while BasiGo and Roam to expand e-bus and motorbike production from Kenya to Rwanda.

CONSTRUCTION

Regional Hubs: Steel and basic metal investments in COMESA rose to 71%.
Rwanda (BSEZ) and Gabon (GSEZ) are attracting heavy industries (cement, ceramics, glue) to support the continent’s infrastructure boom.

PHARMACEUTICALS

Nigeria; West Africa’s pharma giant with150 manufacturing plants to double between 2024-2034. (factMR_Reports)
South Africa: The most advanced market with over 120 manufacturing plants.
Kenya and Ghana: Emerging manufacturing bases supplying essential medicines and OTC products. (Euagenda, The African Exponent)

INFRASTRUCTURE LEAP

Power: Renewable energy investments in zones like COMESA soared 67%.

Ports: Major upgrades in Lomé and Mombasa have slashed turnaround times.

Rwanda’s Bugesera International Airport to turn Kigali into a new aviation and cargo node.

DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE SNAPSHOT

Africa drives about $1.1Tn in mobile-money transactions a year. (ecofinagency)
Consumers, SMEs shifting from cash to wallets, cards and QRs.
Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda are driving East African funding boom. Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Ghana, And Cote d 'Ivoire lead in IT and digital startups. (africanexponenet)

HOW GLOBAL MANUFACTURERS SEARCHED FOR AFRICA ONLINE

AFI IMPACT: THE 2025 OVERVIEW

While others speculated, users of Africa for Investors (AFI) executed:

70,000+

Searched for real opportunities.

6,500+

Interests generated for manufacturing setups.

1,200+

Deep-dive data reports downloaded.

100+

Manufacturing opportunities mapped and unlocked.

TOP COUNTRIES LOOKING FOR MANUFACTURING OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS AFRICA

2025 laid the foundation with record factory outputs, enhanced logistics, and structural transformation.

2026 is going to be a year of compounding growth. The stage is all set; it’s time for you to be a part of the change!

ABOUT AFRICA FOR INVESTORS (AFI)

Africa For Investors (AFI) is a premier platform connecting manufacturers, business leaders and investors with high-impact manufacturing prospects and priority-value opportunities across Africa.