Changing the narrative on Africa.
New cars are hitting Africa’s roads faster than ever as local production rises and Chinese brands heat up competition with attractive prices.Morocco is speeding production at over 1 million units surpassing South Africa at nearly 600,000 units.
The UN expects East Africa to lead Africa’s growth in 2026, powered by Ethiopia’s reform push and Kenya’s diversified economy. Big infrastructure bets are lifting the outlook, but high debt costs and tight global finance remain key constraints.
Economic growth in Africa is expected to surpass that of Asia for the first time in 2026. While economists have varying growth rate predictions, they are in agreement that Africa’s economy is rising while that of Asia is slowing down, offering a big opportunity for the continent to grow faster than its Asian counterpart.
Africa’s startup ecosystem is emerging from two difficult years with renewed momentum, buoyed by a funding rebound that is increasingly being driven by local venture capital.
Africa’s next generation is emerging as the new battleground for digital finance, as global crypto exchanges and African fintechs race to shape how children save, learn and interact with money. Chinese crypto platform, Binance has now entered that race. This month, the exchange launched Binance Junior, a parent-controlled savings app for users aged six to seventeen that introduces digital assets in a supervised, education-first setting.
Five years ago, instant payments in Africa were the preserve of a small elite population with fully fledged bank accounts linked to their phone numbers. The service enabled these people already inside the formal financial system to transact conveniently in select urban spots like supermarkets or hotels equipped with QR codes, credit card readers or specialised mobile-integrated platforms.
Africa’s public markets appear to be entering a new phase as more tech firms begin treating local exchanges as viable paths to raising capital while strong demand in Johannesburg and Casablanca promises a shift in liquidity, improved investor confidence, and a maturing pipeline of tech issuers on the continent.
Mineral resources are increasingly being leveraged as bargaining chips in diplomacy, conflict mediation, and security arrangements. Across Africa, the rise in resource-for-security exchanges is being used to secure allies and acquire military support.
Rising tariffs in the U.S. and supply-chain shocks are pushing global apparel buyers to diversify from manufacturing in Asia and look towards Africa They are reassessing sourcing strategies and industrial zones in Africa have become viable options for them. Kenya’s Vipingo SEZ pair infrastructure and financing with compliance-ready operations, turning pilot orders into repeat contracts and reshaping sourcing strategies.
More and more Zambians are finding their fortune not at the copper mines, but in the water. 27-year-old Sibongile Nthani is among those trying their hand at fish farming, benefitting from the experience of multinational Zambian players already in the market, and government support.