The 2026 African Trade Report, themed “Leveraging Geopolitics for Trade and Industrialisation in Global Africa,” is published at a pivotal moment for Africa and the global economy. Across the world, shifting geopolitical dynamics, evolving supply chains, technological transformation, and changing patterns of trade and investment are redefining the international economic landscape. For Africa, these changes present not only challenges, but also a historic opportunity to reposition the continent as a dynamic centre of production, trade, innovation, and growth.


The findings of this report highlight the growing resilience and potential of African economies. Africa’s real GDP growth accelerated from 3.4 percent in 2024 to 4.5 percent in 2025, outpacing global growth and reaffirming the strength and adaptability of the continent. While aggregate inflation moderated significantly from 21.6 percent to 13.1 percent – with some countries recording as low as 3 percent inflation rate, merchandise trade expanded by 6.1 percent to approximately US$1.5 trillion, and intra- African trade grew by 5.5 percent to about US$213.8 billion. These outcomes reflect improving macroeconomic management, strengthening institutions, expanding regional cooperation, and the determination of African countries to sustain growth despite a complex global environment.

At the same time, this report recognises that important structural challenges remain. Africa continues to face significant trade finance constraints, infrastructure gaps, and limited value addition across many sectors. Yet these challenges also underscore the scale of the opportunity before us. As global supply chains diversify and the search for resilient production hubs intensifies, Africa is increasingly well-positioned to emerge as a competitive destination for investment, manufacturing, digital innovation, and green industrialisation.