As of April 2025, South Africa's GDP was estimated at over 410 billion U.S. dollars, the highest in Africa. Egypt followed, with a GDP worth around 347 billion U.S. dollars, and ranked as the second-highest on the continent. Algeria ranked third, with nearly 269 billion U.S. dollars. These African economies are among some of the fastest-growing economies worldwide. Dependency on oil For some African countries, the oil industry represents an enormous source of income. In Nigeria, oil generates over five percent of the country’s GDP in the third quarter of 2023. However, economies such as the Libyan, Algerian, or Angolan are even much more dependent on the oil sector. In Libya, for instance, oil rents account for over 40 percent of the GDP. Indeed, Libya is one of the economies most dependent on oil worldwide. Similarly, oil represents for some of Africa’s largest economies a substantial source of export value. The giants do not make the ranking Most of Africa’s largest economies do not appear in the leading ten African countries for GDP per capita. The GDP per capita is calculated by dividing a country’s GDP by its population. Therefore, a populated country with a low total GDP will have a low GDP per capita, while a small rich nation has a high GDP per capita. For instance, South Africa has Africa’s highest GDP, but also counts the sixth-largest population, so wealth has to be divided into its big population. The GDP per capita also indicates how a country’s wealth reaches each of its citizens. In Africa, Seychelles has the greatest GDP per capita.

Seychelles had the largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in Africa as of 2024. The value amounted to 21,630 U.S. dollars. Mauritius followed with around 12,330 U.S. dollars, whereas Gabon registered 8,840 U.S. dollars. GDP per capita is calculated by dividing a country’s GDP by its population, meaning that some of the largest economies are not ranked within the leading ten. Impact of COVID-19 on North Africa’s GDP When looking at the GDP growth rate in Africa in 2024, Libya had the largest estimated growth in Northern Africa, a value of 7.8 percent compared to the previous year. Niger and Senegal were at the top of the list with rates of 10.4 percent and 8.3 percent, respectively. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact on the economy was severe. The growth of the North African real GDP was estimated at minus 1.1 percent in 2020. However, estimations for 2022 looked much brighter, as it was set that the region would see a GDP growth of six percent, compared to four percent in 2021.
Contribution of Tourism Various countries in Africa are dependent on tourism, contributing to the economy. In 2023, travel and tourism were estimated to contribute 182.6 billion U.S. dollars, a clear increase from 96.5 in 2020 following COVID-19. As of 2024, South Africa, Mauritius, and Egypt led tourism in the continent according to the Travel & Tourism Development Index.

This dataset provides values for GDP reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

This dataset provides values for GDP ANNUAL GROWTH RATE reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

As of 2023, the GDP of Africa was estimated at roughly 3.1 trillion U.S. dollars. This was the highest value since 2010 when the continent's GDP amounted to approximately 2.1 trillion U.S. dollars. The GDP value in Africa generally followed an upward trend in recent years and was estimated to exceed 4.2 trillion U.S. dollars by 2027.

Leading the charge: the three leading African economies

Among the African countries, in 2021, Nigeria had the highest GDP with approximately 442 billion U.S. dollars. South Africa and Egypt followed. These three countries have the largest economies for various reasons. The most notable factors are their population size, natural resources, and level of economic development. Furthermore, Africa was projected to have a real GDP growth rate of 3.9 percent in 2023. Libya was the economy experiencing the highest growth rate in that year.

The Sub-Saharan African economy on the rise

A global comparison showed that Sub-Saharan Africa had the smallest GDP among all world regions in 2021, amounting to 1.87 trillion U.S. dollars. A closer look revealed that Sub-Saharan Africa had a GDP per capita of 1,626.3 U.S. dollars in 2021, again the lowest worldwide. However, the region's economy was forecast to experience continued growth in the following years, with the real GDP increasing by 3.7 percent in 2023.

This dataset provides values for GDP PER CAPITA reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Graph and download economic data for Gross National Income for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (NYGNPMKTPCDSSA) from 1985 to 2024 about Sub-Saharan Africa, GNI, and income.

The average for 2025 based on 51 countries was 53 index points. The highest value was in Mauritius: 75 index points and the lowest value was in Sudan: 35 index points. The indicator is available from 1995 to 2025. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

In 2024, Niger's real GDP is estimated to grow by 10.4 percent compared to the previous year. During 2023, the GDP is estimated to have increased by only 1.4 percent, nevertheless a positive trend. The country's real GDP is forecast to continue growing but at a slower pace. Between 2025 and 2029, it is expected to grow annually by roughly six percent. Furthermore, the GDPs of Senegal, Libya, and Rwanda might increase by around 8.3 percent, 7.8 percent, and 6.9 percent during 2024, respectively. Niger: A dependence on agriculture A large portion of Niger's economy comes from agriculture. In 2022, agriculture accounted for almost 40 percent of the GDP. Niger is not the only country in Africa where agriculture plays a crucial role. For example, agriculture made up nearly 60 percent of Sierra Leone’s GDP in 2022. Such dependence could mean that any disruptions in the agricultural products market could have significant effects on the country's GDP. Sub-Saharan Africa's economy will be among the fastest-growing regions worldwide Three African countries have significantly larger economies, namely, Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt. As of 2022, these countries' GDP stood at nearly 477.4 billion, 475.2 billion, and 405.7 billion U.S. dollars. Furthermore, it is anticipated that Sub-Saharan Africa's GDP growth in 2026 will rank as the second-fastest growing economic region in the world after the ASEAN-5 countries, with a growth rate of approximately four percent. In contrast, economic areas such as the European Union are forecast to grow at only about 1.5 percent in the same year.

Egypt was the largest economy in North Africa in 2022. In that year, its GDP amounted to 435.6 billion U.S. dollars, the second-highest in Africa after Nigeria. Algeria and Morocco followed, with the GDP totaling around 194 billion and 133 billion U.S. dollars, respectively.

Compared to other African countries, Seychelles scored the highest in the Human Development Index (HDI) in 2022. The country also ranked 67th globally, as one of the countries with a very high human development. This was followed by Mauritius, Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia, with scores ranging from 0.80 to 0.73 points. On the other hand, Central African Republic, South Sudan, and Somalia were among the countries in the region with the lowest index scores, indicating a low level of human development.

The average for 2023 based on 184 countries was 0.744 points. The highest value was in Iceland: 0.972 points and the lowest value was in South Africa: 0.388 points. The indicator is available from 1980 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Context:

World leaders gathered at the Millennium Summit in New York in September 2000 adopted an ambitious set of goals aimed at achieving measurable progress towards reducing poverty and improving human well-being across the globe. They recognized the particular needs of Africa, the world’s poorest region, which lags behind on virtually every major indicator of development.

There is growing international concern that while Africa has made some modest progress in a few areas, it will not be able to even approach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the target year of 2015 — unless both African countries and the international community mobilize far more efforts and resources.

Details of the dataset

The Africa Millennium Development Goals dataset is a comprehensive resource that provides insights into the progress of various African countries towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

The dataset was produced jointly by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Union (AU), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It covers a wide range of countries in Africa (Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, and many more) and includes data on various indicators related to education, environment, gender, health, mortality, poverty, and more.

Note: Please note that the dataset was last updated on 24 November 20161, so it might not reflect the most recent developments.

The average for 2023 based on 52 countries was 0.585 points. The highest value was in the Seychelles: 0.848 points and the lowest value was in South Africa: 0.388 points. The indicator is available from 1980 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

South Africa ZA: GDP: PPP data was reported at 765,567.480 Intl $ mn in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 742,237.973 Intl $ mn for 2016. South Africa ZA: GDP: PPP data is updated yearly, averaging 416,448.158 Intl $ mn from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 765,567.480 Intl $ mn in 2017 and a record low of 235,395.319 Intl $ mn in 1990. South Africa ZA: GDP: PPP data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank.WDI: Gross Domestic Product: Purchasing Power Parity. PPP GDP is gross domestic product converted to international dollars using purchasing power parity rates. An international dollar has the same purchasing power over GDP as the U.S. dollar has in the United States. GDP is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy plus any product taxes and minus any subsidies not included in the value of the products. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or for depletion and degradation of natural resources. Data are in current international dollars. For most economies PPP figures are extrapolated from the 2011 International Comparison Program (ICP) benchmark estimates or imputed using a statistical model based on the 2011 ICP. For 47 high- and upper middle-income economies conversion factors are provided by Eurostat and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).; ; World Bank, International Comparison Program database.; Gap-filled total;

This dataset provides values for COMPETITIVENESS RANK reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

TThe ERS International Macroeconomic Data Set provides historical and projected data for 181 countries that account for more than 99 percent of the world economy. These data and projections are assembled explicitly to serve as underlying assumptions for the annual USDA agricultural supply and demand projections, which provide a 10-year outlook on U.S. and global agriculture. The macroeconomic projections describe the long-term, 10-year scenario that is used as a benchmark for analyzing the impacts of alternative scenarios and macroeconomic shocks.

Explore the International Macroeconomic Data Set 2015 for annual growth rates, consumer price indices, real GDP per capita, exchange rates, and more. Get detailed projections and forecasts for countries worldwide.

Annual growth rates, Consumer price indices (CPI), Real GDP per capita, Real exchange rates, Population, GDP deflator, Real gross domestic product (GDP), Real GDP shares, GDP, projections, Forecast, Real Estate, Per capita, Deflator, share, Exchange Rates, CPI

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Côte d'Ivoire, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, WORLD Follow data.kapsarc.org for timely data to advance energy economics research. Notes:

Developed countries/1 Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Other Western Europe, European Union 27, North America

Developed countries less USA/2 Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Other Western Europe, European Union 27, Canada

Developing countries/3 Africa, Middle East, Other Oceania, Asia less Japan, Latin America;

Low-income developing countries/4 Haiti, Afghanistan, Nepal, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe;

Emerging markets/5 Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Russia, China, India, Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore

BRIICs/5 Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, China; Former Centrally Planned Economies

Former centrally planned economies/7 Cyprus, Malta, Recently acceded countries, Other Central Europe, Former Soviet Union

USMCA/8 Canada, Mexico, United States

Europe and Central Asia/9 Europe, Former Soviet Union

Middle East and North Africa/10 Middle East and North Africa

Other Southeast Asia outlook/11 Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam

Other South America outlook/12 Chile, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay

Indicator Source

Real gross domestic product (GDP) World Bank World Development Indicators, IHS Global Insight, Oxford Economics Forecasting, as well as estimated and projected values developed by the Economic Research Service all converted to a 2015 base year.

Real GDP per capita U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Macroeconomic Data Set, GDP table and Population table.

GDP deflator World Bank World Development Indicators, IHS Global Insight, Oxford Economics Forecasting, as well as estimated and projected values developed by the Economic Research Service, all converted to a 2015 base year.

Real GDP shares U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Macroeconomic Data Set, GDP table.

Real exchange rates U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Macroeconomic Data Set, CPI table, and Nominal XR and Trade Weights tables developed by the Economic Research Service.

Consumer price indices (CPI) International Financial Statistics International Monetary Fund, IHS Global Insight, Oxford Economics Forecasting, as well as estimated and projected values developed by the Economic Research Service, all converted to a 2015 base year.

Population Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, International Data Base.

Abstract

Estache and Goicoechea present an infrastructure database that was assembled from multiple sources. Its main purposes are: (i) to provide a snapshot of the sector as of the end of 2004; and (ii) to facilitate quantitative analytical research on infrastructure sectors. The related working paper includes definitions, source information and the data available for 37 performance indicators that proxy access, affordability and quality of service (most recent data as of June 2005). Additionally, the database includes a snapshot of 15 reform indicators across infrastructure sectors.

This is a first attempt, since the effort made in the World Development Report 1994, at generating a database on infrastructure sectors and it needs to be recognized as such. This database is not a state of the art output—this is being worked on by sector experts on a different time table. The effort has however generated a significant amount of new information. The database already provides enough information to launch a much more quantitative debate on the state of infrastructure. But much more is needed and by circulating this information at this stage, we hope to be able to generate feedback and fill the major knowledge gaps and inconsistencies we have identified.

Geographic coverage

The database covers the following countries: - Afghanistan - Albania - Algeria - American Samoa - Andorra - Angola - Antigua and Barbuda - Argentina - Armenia - Aruba - Australia - Austria - Azerbaijan - Bahamas, The - Bahrain - Bangladesh - Barbados - Belarus - Belgium - Belize - Benin - Bermuda - Bhutan - Bolivia - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Botswana - Brazil - Brunei - Bulgaria - Burkina Faso - Burundi - Cambodia - Cameroon - Canada - Cape Verde - Cayman Islands - Central African Republic - Chad - Channel Islands - Chile - China - Colombia - Comoros - Congo, Dem. Rep. - Congo, Rep. - Costa Rica - Cote d'Ivoire - Croatia - Cuba - Cyprus - Czech Republic - Denmark - Djibouti - Dominica - Dominican Republic - Ecuador - Egypt, Arab Rep. - El Salvador - Equatorial Guinea - Eritrea - Estonia - Ethiopia - Faeroe Islands - Fiji - Finland - France - French Polynesia - Gabon - Gambia, The - Georgia - Germany - Ghana - Greece - Greenland - Grenada - Guam - Guatemala - Guinea - Guinea-Bissau - Guyana - Haiti - Honduras - Hong Kong, China - Hungary - Iceland - India - Indonesia - Iran, Islamic Rep. - Iraq - Ireland - Isle of Man - Israel - Italy - Jamaica - Japan - Jordan - Kazakhstan - Kenya - Kiribati - Korea, Dem. Rep. - Korea, Rep. - Kuwait - Kyrgyz Republic - Lao PDR - Latvia - Lebanon - Lesotho - Liberia - Libya - Liechtenstein - Lithuania - Luxembourg - Macao, China - Macedonia, FYR - Madagascar - Malawi - Malaysia - Maldives - Mali - Malta - Marshall Islands - Mauritania - Mauritius - Mayotte - Mexico - Micronesia, Fed. Sts. - Moldova - Monaco - Mongolia - Morocco - Mozambique - Myanmar - Namibia - Nepal - Netherlands - Netherlands Antilles - New Caledonia - New Zealand - Nicaragua - Niger - Nigeria - Northern Mariana Islands - Norway - Oman - Pakistan - Palau - Panama - Papua New Guinea - Paraguay - Peru - Philippines - Poland - Portugal - Puerto Rico - Qatar - Romania - Russian Federation - Rwanda - Samoa - San Marino - Sao Tome and Principe - Saudi Arabia - Senegal - Seychelles - Sierra Leone - Singapore - Slovak Republic - Slovenia - Solomon Islands - Somalia - South Africa - Spain - Sri Lanka - St. Kitts and Nevis - St. Lucia - St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Sudan - Suriname - Swaziland - Sweden - Switzerland - Syrian Arab Republic - Tajikistan - Tanzania - Thailand - Togo - Tonga - Trinidad and Tobago - Tunisia - Turkey - Turkmenistan - Uganda - Ukraine - United Arab Emirates - United Kingdom - United States - Uruguay - Uzbekistan - Vanuatu - Venezuela, RB - Vietnam - Virgin Islands (U.S.) - West Bank and Gaza - Yemen, Rep. - Yugoslavia, FR (Serbia/Montenegro) - Zambia - Zimbabwe

Kind of data

Aggregate data [agg]

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Response rate

Sector Performance Indicators

Energy The energy sector is relatively well covered by the database, at least in terms of providing a relatively recent snapshot for the main policy areas. The best covered area is access where data are available for 2000 for about 61% of the 207 countries included in the database. The technical quality indicator is available for 60% of the countries, and at least one of the perceived quality indicators is available for 40% of the countries. Price information is available for about 41% of the countries, distinguishing between residential and non residential.

Water & Sanitation Because the sector is part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), it enjoys a lot of effort on data generation in terms of the access rates. The WHO is the main engine behind this effort in collaboration with the multilateral and bilateral aid agencies. The coverage is actually quite high -some national, urban and rural information is available for 75 to 85% of the countries- but there are significant concerns among the research community about the fact that access rates have been measured without much consideration to the quality of access level. The data on technical quality are only available for 27% of the countries. There are data on perceived quality for roughly 39% of the countries but it cannot be used to qualify the information provided by the raw access rates (i.e. access 3 hours a day is not equivalent to access 24 hours a day).

Information and Communication Technology The ICT sector is probably the best covered among the infrastructure sub-sectors to a large extent thanks to the fact that the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has taken on the responsibility to collect the data. ITU covers a wide spectrum of activity under the communications heading and its coverage ranges from 85 to 99% for all national access indicators. The information on prices needed to make assessments of affordability is also quite extensive since it covers roughly 85 to 95% of the 207 countries. With respect to quality, the coverage of technical indicators is over 88% while the information on perceived quality is only available for roughly 40% of the countries.

Transport The transport sector is possibly the least well covered in terms of the service orientation of infrastructure indicators. Regarding access, network density is the closest approximation to access to the service and is covered at a rate close to 90% for roads but only at a rate of 50% for rail. The relevant data on prices only cover about 30% of the sample for railways. Some type of technical quality information is available for 86% of the countries. Quality perception is only available for about 40% of the countries.

Institutional Reform Indicators

Electricity The data on electricity policy reform were collected from the following sources: ABS Electricity Deregulation Report (2004), AEI-Brookings telecommunications and electricity regulation database (2003), Bacon (1999), Estache and Gassner (2004), Estache, Trujillo, and Tovar de la Fe (2004), Global Regulatory Network Program (2004), Henisz et al. (2003), International Porwer Finance Review (2003-04), International Power and Utilities Finance Review (2004-05), Kikukawa (2004), Wallsten et al. (2004), World Bank Caribbean Infrastructure Assessment (2004), World Bank Global Energy Sector Reform in Developing Countries (1999), World Bank staff, and country regulators. The coverage for the three types of institutional indicators is quite good for the electricity sector. For regulatory institutions and private participation in generation and distribution, the coverage is about 80% of the 207 counties. It is somewhat lower on the market structure with only 58%.

Water & Sanitation The data on water policy reform were collected from the following sources: ABS Water and Waste Utilities of the World (2004), Asian Developing Bank (2000), Bayliss (2002), Benoit (2004), Budds and McGranahan (2003), Hall, Bayliss, and Lobina (2002), Hall and Lobina (2002), Hall, Lobina, and De La Mote (2002), Halpern (2002), Lobina (2001), World Bank Caribbean Infrastructure Assessment (2004), World Bank Sector Note on Water Supply and Sanitation for Infrastructure in EAP (2004), and World Bank staff. The coverage for institutional reforms in W&S is not as exhaustive as for the other utilities. Information on the regulatory institutions responsible for large utilities is available for about 67% of the countries. Ownership data are available for about 70% of the countries. There is no information on the market structure good enough to be reported here at this stage. In most countries small scale operators are important private actors but there is no systematic record of their existence. Most of the information available on their role and importance is only anecdotal.

Information and Communication Technology The report Trends in Telecommunications Reform from ITU (revised by World Bank staff) is the main source of information for this sector. The information on institutional reforms in the sector is however not as exhaustive as it is for its sector performance indicators. While the coverage on the regulatory institutions is 100%, it varies between 76 and 90% of the countries for more of the other indicators. Quite surprisingly also, in contrast to what is available for other sectors, it proved difficult to obtain data on the timing of reforms and of the creation of the regulatory agencies.

Transport Information on transport institutions and reforms is not systematically generated by any agency. Even though more data are needed to have a more comprenhensive picture of the transport sector, it was possible to collect data on railways policy reform from Janes World Railways (2003-04) and complement it with

The novel coronavirus pandemic has unsettled the political, economic and social structures of the world. Yet, in the context of global economies in recession, opportunities also abound for many countries, including in Africa, to pursue new directions in governance and management. For instance, the pandemic may be closing gaps between the so-called developed and the developing worlds, thereby giving African countries some geopolitical and economic leverage, both in terms of international alliances and managing fiscal challenges. This project, using the case of Sierra Leonne, focuses on how African countries can chart new paths is their management and governance of foreign aid. The project investigates how aid-funded projects are implemented in Africa using the yardstick of the World Bank’s International Good Governance Standard and, in the process, answers the question of how African countries can alternatively and efficiently administer and manage foreign aid-funded projects? This question is important because Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the world’s most aided regions. Aid as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the region has averaged around 5% for much of the past two decades. Aid has reached nearly 10% at times and still equals nearly 6% of the region’s GDP. Yet, the growth records of nearly all African countries have thus far been unsatisfactory compared with the amount of aid funds received. The case of high aid flows into African economies, on one hand, and evidence of abysmal growth outcomes, on the other, have led to questions about the usefulness of foreign aid. At a time when Africa’s traditional donor countries are biting the dust, due to the pandemic, these questions become even more crucial. The project calls for a rethink of Africa’s economic management practices to meet the needs of present times.

Figure 3 depicts China-Africa trade from 2000 to 2013. It shows that China-Africa trade consistently grew since the formation of the FOCAC in 2000. As can be seen in the figure, the US trade with Africa declined after the 2008 global financial crisis, allowing China to take the lead as Africa's largest trading partner. Figure 7 shows trade between China and Africa from 2003 to 2021. Although with fluctuations, trade between the two sides has been increasing since the establishment of the FOCAC mechanism. It reached a first high of US$203 billion in 2015 and then declined significantly the following year. However, the trade increased again from 2017 and surged to US$254 billion in 2021, up by 35% from the previous year. The high trade volume in 2021 has been attributed to the additional Chinese exports of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), such as masks and hazmat suits, as well as pharmaceutical products and testing equipment for the COVID-19 pandemic to Africa. However, Gu et al (2022: 11) indicated that the strong increase in China-Africa trade volume in 2021 is remarkable as data from China's customs agency shows that it is "made up of an increase in both Chinese exports to Africa (29.9% year-on-year) and African exports to China (43.7% year-on-year)". Figure 4 shows the number of countries around the world that have joined China's Belt and Road Initiatiative (BRI). As can be seen in the figure, China's BRI has attracted more than 140 countries. In Africa, the first countries that signed up for the BRI project were East and North African countries such as Kenya, Djibouti, Tanzania and Egypt. In Figure 5, the map shows the number of African countries that have signed up for the BRI since 2015. As can be seen in the figure, 52 countries in Africa had signed some BRI-related Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China by 2022.

Table 1 shows that studies that analysed the China-Africa relationship focusing on their 'strategic partnership' are very few, given the voluminous literature on China and Africa. A search of Sino-Africa studies conducted in English with the term 'strategic partnership' in their titles produced only ten papers (see table). Furthermore, as the table shows, studies investigating the increased security cooperation in China-Africa relations conducted in English are rare, although this part of the debate has also produced numerous research publications. The column titled 'Focus of study' in Table 1 above shows that majority of these studies concentrated on analysing economic cooperation, while a few also included political relations between China and Africa. Also, the column titled 'Definition of strategic partnership' shows that, all these studies, except Akpan and Onya (2018), made no attempts to define the concept of strategic partnership. Figure 8 shows the countries around the world in which the United Nations (UN) has deployed its peacekeepers. As shown in the figure, the UN has deployed several peacekeeping missions around the world since the late 1940s, with most of these operations taking place in the African continent. Figure 9 focuses on the UN’s peacekeeping operations in Africa. As can be seen in the figure, Chinese peacekeeping troops were deployed in five out of the seven UN-led missions on the African continent as of 2019. Figure 12 shows the foreign military bases that currently exist in African countries. As the figure shows, the African Continent is a host to 47 known foreign military bases, of which 34 are United States (US) bases. Figure 13 shows the foreign military bases in Djibouti. As seen in the figure, Djibouti hosts the US' Camp Lemonnier military base, just 13.4 kilometres away from the Chinese PLA's new navy facility, along with military bases of other major powers such as France, Germany and Japan in close proximity. Djibouti thus found itself in the middle of diplomatic tensions between China and the US over fears of a Chinese takeover of the Doraleh Container Terminal, Djibouti's main container port, in 2018, as China financed the development of the port. Figure 6 shows China's Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) commitments from 2006 to 2021. As can be seen in the figure, China's financial pledges to assist Africa increased from US$5 billion to US$60 in 2015. However, they dropped to US$40 billion in 2021. Further, drops in the number of activities, such as official development assistance (ODAs) and capacity building, including reductions in security collaborations, were also noted. However, a new development was China's reallocation of US$10 billion of its Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) towards Africa from the US$40 billion that it received from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).