African economy

CommoditiesPolitics & Policy

Trump’s Africa summit: offshoring the US’s immigration problem?

Last week, US President Donald Trump hosted a mini-summit with five African leaders at the White House, which was surprising given his stance towards the continent
President Donald Trump speaks with President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema of Gabon in the Oval Office, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, before a multilateral luncheon with African leaders
East African CommunityPolitics & Policy

Open borders in East Africa: great strides, but still a long way to go

Compared to the rest of Africa, East Africa has made greater strides towards facilitating the free movement of people across borders in search of work
People crossing the border from the Democratic Republic of the Congo into Bunagana, in the south-west of Uganda.
Politics & Policy

Four things every peace treaty needs, and how the DRC–Rwanda deal measures up

One agreement is rarely enough to resolve a complex conflict; deals are often part of a series, sometimes between different actors. They often refer to previously concluded ones, and will be referred to by subsequent ones
Four officers from a joint police force comprising elements of the United Nations Police and the Congolese National Police, armed with guns and batons, patrol a busy area of Goma, a city in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in December 2011.
CommoditiesPolitics & Policy

Critical minerals and technology dependency: key G20 issues for Africa

Thirty percent of the world’s critical minerals come from Africa, and their access is a priority for South Africa’s government during its G20 presidency this year
Landscape photograph of a brown mountain
EconomyPolitics & Policy

African finance ministers shouldn’t be getting involved in bond deals – that’s what the experts are for!

Recent developments show that most eurobonds owned by African countries have not been structured properly. As a result, African countries are paying way over the odds relative to their sovereign risks
Seedlings growing on coins, in soil medium
Politics & Policy

China offers zero-tariff access to African nations

China’s President Xi Jinping has pledged to extend zero-tariff treatment to Uganda and 52 other African nations, in a move aimed at boosting Sino-African trade
Ministerial meeting of coordinators on the implementation of follow up actions of the forum on china africa cooperation
Opinion

African countries are not good at issuing bonds, which means the cost of debt is higher than it should be. What changes are required?

African countries face a puzzling paradox: although they are paying more for the debt they are raising, demand for these bonds is much higher than supply - often oversubscribed by over five times.
Various currency notes of African countries are seen in this photo
Politics & Policy

Is the war in Sudan the cause of the economic crisis in South Sudan? What is really going on with oil revenue?

South Sudan’s ability to attract new loans depends on the repayment of existing ones. These repayments largely depend on oil production. As the 2024-24 budget shows, South Sudan desperately needs new loans to keep even core state functions operational
Sudan's largest and important port, filled with shipping containers
Economy

Credit rating agencies and Africa: lack of people on the ground fuels bias against continent

The big three rating agencies have a thin presence in Africa, raising questions about analysts' workloads and the accuracy of their ratings — not to mention a bias towards their home regions
The headquarters of Fitch Ratings in the financial district of lower Manhattan, New York
OpinionPolitics & Policy

What’s driving Africa’s youth-led protests?

While many of the protesters' demands are unlikely to be met, the demonstrations underline the urgent need for fundamental reform, not just in Kenya or Nigeria, but across Africa
Two men hold placards at a demonstration in Washington D.C. in June 2024. They were part of a demonstration by Kenyans living in the United States in solidarity with mass protests then taking place back home.
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