18/09/2025
Don't sleep on East Africa (yes, including Rwanda), the area shows great progress in development! Here's a quick take on the current state of African development.
Overall, Africa’s growth picture is uneven but promising. East Africa and parts of West Africa are posting some of the fastest GDP growth rates in 2025, while large economies with structural headwinds are growing more slowly. Here’s a short, portable overview.
📈 Major gainers (strong growth)
Rwanda, Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire — these countries are among the fastest-growing African economies in 2025, with projected real GDP growth in the 6–7% range (Rwanda ~7.1%, Ethiopia ~6.6%, Côte d’Ivoire ~6.3%). These gains are driven by services, construction, investment and improving business climates.
👀 Countries to watch
Kenya and Ghana — both showing respectable growth (Kenya ~4.8%, Ghana ~4.0%) and strong potential thanks to diversified services sectors, digital adoption, and expanding regional trade. Nigeria and Egypt remain strategically important because of size and structural reform potential; their trajectories will significantly shape Africa’s aggregate outlook. Unfortunately, South Africa is facing headwinds or still lagging but that's a story for another day.
South Africa (projected ~1% growth in 2025) and some conflict-affected or fragile states: slower expansion reflects structural constraints, energy and governance challenges, and weaker investment. Human development indicators also show very uneven progress across the continent — growth does not automatically translate into broad-based human development.
