Top and Latest Reports Covered in 2025

Discover key reports featured in The Africa Brief. From startup funding and investment flows to policy shifts and political updates across the continent shaping Africa.

Release Date: April 2025

According to the report, private capital in Africa is stabilizing—more local money, more deals, better exits but risk appetite is shifting.

Also, fundraising doubled to $4B, the 3rd highest in a decade.

Release Date: June 2023

Africa is home to at least 345 companies generating $1B+ in annual revenue, producing a collective of more than $1T.

About 230 are homegrown, often founded by local entrepreneurs, and 52 are state-owned.

Release Date: January 2025

GDP could grow 10% larger by 2043 with 32 million fewer people in extreme poverty. That’s better than the last report I read, but 2043??

The report says we can expect: Major gains in services (+$397B) and manufacturing (+$110B)

Release Date: April 2025

Mobile Money Is Africa’s Power Tool. Globally, mobile money hit 2.1 billion accounts and moved $1.7T in 2024.

Africa leads with 1.1 billion users, $1.1T in transactions and a $190B GDP boost.

Release Date: March 2025

Africa’s Capital Market Momentum: African firms are tapping capital markets (funding via equity or bonds) like never before.

From 1990 to 2022, capital issuance rose from <1% to ~6% of GDP in sub-Saharan Africa—a sixfold increase.

Release Date: March 2025

While I wish the number was higher for African musicians, globally Spotify paid out $10B in 2024, the largest single-year payout in music history—10x growth over the past decade.

Total lifetime payouts are now at nearly $60B.

Release Date: April 2025

Overall, 75% of survey respondents have used ChatGPT or another AI-driven tool.

In markets such as India, Morocco, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates, AI usage exceeds the levels in so-called mature markets.

Release Date: February 2025

S&P Global Ratings issued 11 positive rating actions for African economies in 2024, more than doubling the previous year's count!

Benin, Cameroon and Côte d'Ivoire saw upgrades

 

Release Date: July 2024

East Africa is leading the charge with skyrocketing housing prices, while South Africa’s luxury market is attracting international investors.

Ghana and Nigeria are emerging as real estate hotspots, despite economic challenges

Release Date: September 10, 2024

Between 2014 and 2024, Nigeria experienced a 59% decline in cash transactions, the most significant drop among seven major economies.

By 2024, digital wallets accounted for more than ⅓ of global consumer spending.

Release Date: September 2024

Temperatures have risen 0.3°C per decade since 1991, surpassing the global average.

Morocco hit 50.4°C, the highest recorded temperature in 2023 in Africa.

Release Date: March 2025

According to the UN Economic Report on Africa 2025, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could boost intra-African trade for the world’s largest free trading block by 45% by 2045 and increase Africa’s GDP by 1.2%.

Release Date: January 2025

Foreign investors are back, chasing 20–25% yields in Nigeria.

The naira has surged 7% since November—one of the world’s best performing currencies.

Release Date: October 2024

The country is defying regional trends with 7% average growth since 2012, low inflation (3.8%) and youth unemployment at just 5%.

With $2.9K GDP per capita, it's West Africa’s economic standout.

Release Date: October 2021

DRC's mineral wealth includes cobalt and lithium, essential for electric vehicles and smartphones.

Strengthening U.S. ties with DRC may stabilize the region and diversify global mineral supply chains.

Release Date: March 2025

Rising Industry: Africa’s broader creative economy—spanning music, film, fashion, art and sports—is thriving but still underrepresented globally.

It’s valued at around $59B, which is <3% of the $2T global creative industry​

Release Date: March 2025

We thought it valuable to take a closer look this week at women in politics in Africa and how the region stacks up.

Politics Is Still a Boys' Club. 26% of African MPs are women, up from 25% in 2021 That’s a pretty slow-paced improvement. 🙁

Release Date: February 2025

Shipping is expensive: Africa’s transport costs are still 115% above pre-pandemic levels.

Trading with everyone but Africa: Only 16 of 54 nations source even 0.5% of their imports from the continent.

Release Date: February 2025

Africa’s economic growth remains fragile amid global and domestic challenges.

AfDB projects real GDP growth to rise from 3.2% in 2024 to 4.1% in 2025 and 4.4% in 2026, still below the 7% needed to reduce poverty.

Release Date: January 2025 

Outperformance: On average, IFC's equity investments have yielded returns 16% higher than public market benchmarks, such as the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.

Sector Variability: Sectors like technology and finance have demonstrated particularly strong performance.

Release Date: January 2025 

Over half of the world’s economies, covering two-thirds of the global population, now have fertility rates below the replacement level of 2.1.

Interestingly Africa’s birthrate is slowing a bit too

Release Date: February 2025 

Women produce 70% of Africa’s food. Interestingly, women founders receive only 7% of agtech funding.

Release Date: February 2025 

African startups raised $2.07B in 2024, up 4.5% from 2023, despite fewer deals.

Who’s Leading: Renew Capital topped the investor list. Funding Shifts: Early-stage funding plunged from 31% (2021) to 9%, while growth and late-stage deals surged.

Release Date: February 2025 

African tech funding fell 22.73% in 2024, but mega-rounds fueled a rebound in the second half.

Fintech dominated, with East Africa and the Big Four (Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt) attracting the most investment.

Release Date: October 2024

South Africa leads Africa in overall financial market development (87/100), not just foreign exchange access.

Top 10 in FX access: South Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius, Kenya, Botswana, Egypt, Uganda, Morocco, Cabo Verde and Tanzania.

Release Date: December 2024

Africa’s financial services market could hit $312B by 2028, with fintech revenue growing nearly 5x to $47B.

Investors are cautious but fintechs that are integrating into new sectors (health, logistics and energy) show promise.

Release Date: November 2017

We all know, Africa's population is booming, and its children are key to the continent's future.

The number of children has skyrocketed from 110 million in 1950 to a whopping 580 million today.

Release Date: June 2024

Sub-Saharan Africa’s energy access declined for the first time in a decade as population growth outpaced electrification.

There’s that theme again. Population growth.

Release Date: October 2024

The World Bank launched Mission 300 in April 2024, pledging $20B to electrify 250 million people by 2030, focusing on off-grid solar.

Release Date: June 2024

Africa holds significant reserves of materials like lithium, tantalum, niobium, rare earth elements, graphite and gemstones, all crucial for modern industries.

As AI and other tech sectors expand, Africa’s rare earth minerals will be in high demand, likely going to the highest bidder.