Africa’s growth trajectory in 2025 marks a pivotal transition from short-term recovery to structural transformation. Nine of the world’s twenty fastest-growing economies are African, led by Niger , Senegal, Ethiopia , Rwanda, and Côte d’Ivoire ( This new growth geography reveals a continental shift—from resource dependence toward diversified, infrastructure-, energy-, and service-driven expansion.
Structural and Economic Context: Africa’s sustained growth over the past decade stems from rising public investment in infrastructure, energy, and connectivity, coupled with fiscal and governance reforms. However, structural fragility persists: most high-growth economies remain small (under USD 50 billion GDP) and heavily reliant on external financing. The challenge is converting cyclical momentum into broad-based industrialisation and value-chain integration. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) remains the most critical lever for unlocking this transformation. Its effective implementation could harmonise regulatory frameworks, lower trade barriers, and enable continent-wide production networks.
Implications for Gauteng: Gauteng—Africa’s most industrialised region—is uniquely positioned to lead this next wave of continental integration. With 40% of South Africa’s manufacturing GDP, Gauteng already serves as the hub for automotive, machinery, energy, and financial services exports, accounting for nearly R1.4 trillion in African exports (2020–2024). Yet, over 70% of its Africa-bound exports are concentrated in just a few markets (DRC, Kenya, Tanzania, Senegal), signalling geographic and product concentration risks. The province’s industrial and logistics ecosystem, anchored in OR Tambo International Airport, City Deep Inland Port, and multiple regional corridors, gives it unparalleled leverage to become Africa’s “industrial integrator”—linking continental supply, production, and distribution networks.