Morocco overtakes South Africa as Africa's top industrial economy
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Morocco has overtaken South Africa as Africa's leading industrial economy, according to a new report by the African Development Bank, marking a major shift in the continent's economic landscape. The bank unveiled its 2025 Africa Industrialisation Index during its Annual Meetings in Brazzaville, where officials presented the findings.
The bank credited Morocco's rise to strong industrial policies, export diversification, and manufacturing growth over the past decade. Morocco climbed to the top through aggressive industrial upgrading, export diversification, and long-term industrial policies that strengthened its manufacturing base.
The development signals a changing balance of economic influence in Africa, with Morocco increasingly positioning itself as a manufacturing and export hub connecting Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. This strategic positioning has allowed the kingdom to expand its industrial export reach across multiple continents.
While South Africa remains one of the continent's biggest industrial powers, the report noted that the country has struggled with declining competitiveness in recent years. The shift reflects broader challenges South Africa faces in maintaining its historical industrial dominance on the continent.
The AfDB said North and Southern Africa continue to dominate industrial production and export sophistication, while many countries in East, West, and Central Africa still lag behind in manufacturing capacity and regional production networks. This regional disparity highlights the uneven distribution of industrial development across the continent.
The report also exposed one of Africa's biggest economic weaknesses: poor intra-African trade. According to the AfDB, intra-African trade accounted for just 14.4% of total trade, highlighting fragmented supply chains and weak industrial integration across African economies.
The index assessed industrial development across 54 African countries between 2010 and 2024 and found that 41 countries improved their industrialisation scores, while Africa's overall industrial performance rose by 6%. Speaking at the launch, Ousmane Fall described the report as both a "diagnosis and roadmap" for Africa's industrial future. Fall said Africa's industrial ambitions would depend on reliable energy, stronger infrastructure, technical skills, financing, and deeper regional integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area framework.
