Only 3.3% of global trade, a $100B finance hole and a mineral trove waiting to power the energy transition—Africa’s math is daunting but full of opportunity. Meanwhile, Egypt’s coast still parties like it’s 2,000 years ago and our graphic shows democracy’s beat, messy but strong. Let’s get into it.

Africa Trivia

Which African city is the fastest-growing megacity by population, projected to hit 24 million by 2030?

A) Kinshasa
B) Lagos
C) Cairo
D) Nairobi

Graphic of the Week 

Africa’s Civic Pulse

This week’s graphic is an eyeful—big thanks to Dr. Joseph Asunka and the Afrobarometer team for their invaluable work. Their flagship report, African Insights 2025: Citizen Engagement, Citizen Power: Africans Claim the Promise of Democracy, reveals that Africans remain deeply engaged in democracy through voting, community meetings and reaching out to leaders even as party affiliation declines. Here’s a high-level summary:

• Citizen engagement is high: Around 72 % voted in the last national election. On average, each person participated in 3.6 types of civic or political activities—only 6 % didn’t engage in any of the 10 measured forms. 

• Shifting engagement channels: Political party affiliation has declined in nearly all surveyed countries, while contact with traditional, local and parliamentary leaders has risen. 

• Who leads civic involvement? Surprisingly, poorer, less educated and rural Africans are more civically active than wealthier, educated, urban counterparts. However, women and youth remain significantly less engaged. 

What drives participation? Engagement is higher where economic need is greater, governments are responsive and democracy is seen as fair—where these are absent, protests become more common.

What We Are Reading

• Africa: Presidents Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, Nguesso of Congo, and Xi Jinping of China marked 80 years since WWII’s end with a military parade in Beijing (AP News); Trade with India reached $100B USD in 2024-25, supported by Indian investments, concessional loans, grants and scholarships (The Economic Times).

• Botswana: The global rise of lab-grown diamonds continues to cause economic slowdown in the country and the government faces a budget and liquidity crisis (Bloomberg).

• Benin: The ruling coalition picked Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni as its 2026 presidential candidate as President Talon prepares to step down after two terms (Bloomberg).

• Central African Republic: Opposition leader Anicet-Georges Dologuele gave up his French citizenship to run against President Touadera in the December elections (Barron’s).

• Congo (Brazzaville): TotalEnergies won an offshore exploration permit for the Nzombo area, partnering with QatarEnergy and state oil firm SNPC (Reuters). 

• Côte d’Ivoire: Sidi Ould Tah from Mauritania was sworn in as the ninth African Development Bank president, succeeding Akinwumi Adesina (The East African).

• DRC: The Congo River Alliance, led by M23, accused the government of repeatedly breaking ceasefire agreements, thereby threatening to derail Qatar-mediated peace efforts in eastern DRC (Reuters).

• Ghana: President Mahama dismissed Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo after a committee ruled there were grounds for misconduct. (Reuters).

• Ethiopia: Central Bank Governor Mamo Mihretu resigned from public service to pursue other passions (The Reporter).

• Kenyan government signed $3.6M lobbying deal with Trump-linked firm to boost ties with Washington (Semafor); The tech sector attracted 71% more foreign investment in 2024, surpassing banking and manufacturing with inflows of about $500M (Tech Cabal); Government plans to auction 10 oil exploration blocks in Anza and Lamu basins under new petroleum law (Bloomberg).

• Mauritania: Boat capsized off the coast and more than 130 feared dead, mostly Gambians and Senegalese (The New York Times).

• Nigeria: Private sector confidence climbed for ninth month as easing inflation fueled demand; economy set to grow 3.5% in 2025 (Bloomberg).

• Uganda: Jailed opposition figure Kizza Besigye boycotted his treason trial, accusing the presiding judge of bias (Reuters).

• Sudan: Landslide in Darfur’s Marra mountains killed more than 1,000 people and flattened villages (The New York Times).

• Zimbabwe: Central bank continues efforts to build reserves and cut inflation to make gold-backed ZiG the sole currency by 2030 (Bloomberg).

Business & Finance in Africa

African Trade at a Crossroads

The African Trade Report 2025 by Afreximbank shows a continent hustling to grow exports, deepen intra-African trade and unlock AfCFTA’s promise—but still lagging in global share. Here’s a quick rundown: 

• Africa’s exports are just 3.3% of global trade; intra-African trade rose 12% in 2024 but remains only 14.4% of total.

• Merchandise trade hit $1.5T in 2024, but imports ($769B) slightly outpaced exports ($758B), leaving an $11B deficit.

• Growth bright spots: Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery fueling regional energy trade, Côte d’Ivoire expanding refined oil exports, Egypt pushing manufactured goods into Africa.

• AfCFTA momentum: 48 ratifications, 7 countries actively trading under new rules.

Why It Matters: According to the report, global fragmentation is both risk and chance. Africa must close its $100B trade-finance gap, speed up AfCFTA implementation and leverage its new G20 seat to turn dependence into resilience.

Minerals, Money, Momentum

The Securing Minerals for the Energy Transition: Finance for Southern Africa (2025) report by the World Economic Forum spotlights Southern Africa’s mineral wealth—and the financing gaps holding it back. Here’s the report’s skinny:

• Southern Africa holds ~30% of global reserves, including half the world’s cobalt, 20% graphite, 10% copper.

• Yet it attracts <10% of exploration spend, far behind peers like Canada and Australia.

• Eight big barriers flagged: policy uncertainty, financing risks, weak energy and transport, innovation lag, slow industrialization, skills gaps and demand volatility.

• Solutions: de-risking finance, regional transport corridors (like Lobito Railway), renewable-powered mining (Namibia’s green iron), industrial clusters and skills hubs.

Why It Matters: Global demand for critical minerals will quadruple by 2040. If Southern Africa closes its financing gap and builds value chains locally, it can fuel both the energy transition and its own industrial growth.

Female Brains, But Little Gain

Africa shines with women making up nearly half of STEM graduates—but when it comes to tech jobs, leadership and funding, they’re hitting invisible ceilings.

• Africa leads globally with 47% women STEM graduates—but only 23–30% enter tech roles, just slightly above the global norm.

• The climb up? Sparse. Fewer than 12% occupy tech leadership positions and just 10% of startup CEOs are women.

• Funding? Stark. In 2024, women-led tech startups secured only 1% of total funding, while male-led grabbed 94%, and mixed-gender teams got 5.5%.

• The “leaks” draining representation occur at three critical stages: school to workplace transition, career progression and access to capital.

• Solutions lie in focused interventions: innovative recruitment (scholarships, internships), inclusive workplace policies (mentorship, bias training, flexible options) and financial support (grants, investor mentoring).

Bottom Line: Africa cultivates tech-ready women—but they’re filtered out before leadership or funding. To truly capitalize on this talent, the continent must fix the leak at entry, advancement and financing. Read more: McKinsey & Company.

Explorations in Africa

Eternal Party Beach

It seems Egypt’s North Coast has always known how to party. This week, archaeologists pulled relics from the sea from Canopus, a Roman-era “party town” near Alexandria, infamous in old texts for “all sorts of licentious behavior.” Temples by day, wild parties by night. Fast forward 2,000 years and Egypt’s North Coast continues the tradition. Some say Marassi, a 6.5 million sqm luxury compound, feels like Puerto Banús in Spain with its marina, boutiques and all-night buzz. Rixos, Address and Casa Cook are the hotels that anchor the scene, while more resorts, golf courses and beach clubs are coming up.

Egypt’s party credentials aren’t new; it has always been the place to stay out til sunrise. Read more: Relics From an Ancient Egyptian ‘Party Town’ Are Pulled Out of the Sea and Why Egypt’s Up-and-Coming North Coast Needs to be on Your Radar.

Africa Trivia 

Answer: A — Kinshasa. The UN projects Kinshasa, DRC, to surge past 24 million people by 2030, making it the fastest-growing megacity in Africa—and one of the fastest in the world. Lagos and Cairo are larger today, but Kinshasa’s growth rate outpaces them. Read more: ISS African Futures 

In case you missed it, take a quick look back at last week’s newsletter and our graphic of the week on Africa’s labor arbitrage opportunity/challenge. We look forward to seeing you next week. If you’re enjoying The Africa Brief, please forward it on and email us at ([email protected]).