Africa, second largest continent on Earth, will become a pivotal player in international affairs in the coming decades. A confluence of the continent’s abundance of strategic resources, favourable demographics and attractive growth prospects may give its leaders leverage in modern affairs. It is shortsighted to ignore this progress—but acknowledging progress does not absolve the responsibility to continue working toward faster and greater positive outcomes. Meanwhile, this review focuses on the main events and developments that happened in Africa in 2024, covering politics, economy, technology, social issues and security around Africa. It also concludes with what to expect in 2025.
Politics
Comoros President Azali Assoumani has been re-elected for a fourth term in a poll disputed by the opposition as “fraudulent”. He secured the win with 63% of the vote, the electoral body Ceni said. However, turnout was low amid an opposition boycott – just 16% of people voted in the presidential election. International observers had earlier announced that as far as they had seen, the election had been carried out in “peace and tranquility” — despite opposition claims of violence.
The people of Senegal elected a new president in the presidential elections held on March 24, 2024, after a period of demonstrations caused by the delay of the original election date. Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s extraordinary rise caps a rollercoaster period in Senegalese politics that caught many off-guard. Months in jail alongside ally and kingmaker Ousmane Sonko ended suddenly, with the pair released the week before the presidential election. Following closely behind Faye is Amadou Ba, who secured 35.79% of the votes, positioning him in second place.
Chad’s junta leader General Mahamat Idriss Déby has been confirmed the winner of the May 6 presidential election, with 61 percent of the vote. While his closest rival, Prime Minister Succes Masra, won 18.53%. Mr Masra had earlier declared that he had won a “resounding victory” in the first round of voting, and that victory had been stolen “from the people”. The west, for its part – especially France and the US – is afraid to lose its last ally in the region.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), government forces have successfully thwarted an attempted coup. Local media first identified the armed men as Congolese soldiers, but then reported they were linked to self-exiled opposition leader Christian Malanga, who appeared in a live-streamed video surrounded by several people in military uniform. The assailants breached the Palais de la Nation, a grand porticoed building in central Kinshasa that houses the office of President Felix Tshisekedi.
In South Africa for the first time since the advent of democracy, the African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority in Parliament, a crushing defeat that reflected growing public discontent with its leadership.
On 10 June 2024, a Malawi Defence Force Dornier 228 carrying Vice-President of Malawi Saulos Chilima and nine other occupants crashed in Chikangawa Forest Reserve in Mzimba District, killing all on board. President Lazarus Chakwera announced that the wreckage of the plane that went missing had been located after a search of more than 24 hours in thick forests and hilly terrain near the city of Mzuzu.
Rwanda’s presidential and legislative elections were held on 15 and 20 July, respectively. The presidential contest was won by incumbent, Paul Kagame, who secured a fourth term with over 99 per cent of the vote, according to the official results released by the National Electoral Commission (NEC). President Kagame has been in office since 2000, and with 65% of Rwanda’s population under 30 years, he is the only President many have ever known. President Kagame was first directly elected in 2003 and 2010. In 2015, Rwanda amended its Constitution.
In Tunisia, incumbent President Kais Saied won the presidential election on 6 October, securing a second term with 90.69 per cent of the vote in the first round. He faced only two male opponents: Ayachi Zammel, the imprisoned Azimoun party leader, who received 7.35 per cent of the vote, and Zouhair Maghzaoui of the People’s Movement, who garnered 1.97 per cent. The North African country had prided itself for more than a decade on being the birthplace of the Arab Spring uprisings against dictatorship.
Mozambique’s ruling party candidate, Daniel Chapo, has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential election amid claims of rigging by the opposition. Chapo, from the Frelimo party which has been in power for almost half a century, secured more than 70 percent of the votes, the National Election Commission (CNE) said. In the parliament, Frelimo increased its number of seats to 195 out of 250, more than the 184 it had before.
In Botswana, a tiny nation of about 2.5 million people with a history of democratic stability, provided the biggest shock as the economy suffered from a global downturn in demand for mined diamonds, and levels of youth unemployment rose. The opposition landslide marked the end of the 58 years in power of the Botswana Democratic Party, which had governed the country since independence from the United Kingdom in 1966. Duma Boko of the UDC party is elected President of Botswana.
Mauritania’s incumbent President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani has comfortably won re-election with 56.12 per cent of the vote, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) said . The 67-year-old former army chief of staff and defence minister, who was first elected in 2019, has pledged to boost investment to spur a commodities boom in the West African country of 5 million people, as it prepares to start producing natural gas by the end of the year.
Somaliland presidential election was held on 13th of November. Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 amid a descent into conflict and has since sustained its own government, currency and security structures despite not being recognized by any country in the world. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi of the main opposition Waddani Party received more than 50% of the votes, defeating President Muse Bihi Abdi who sought a second term after seven years in office, the electoral commission said.
Namibia’s third president Hage Geingob died at a hospital in Windhoek at the age of 82. Geingob had served as president since 2015 and was currently on his second term. He also served as the country’s first prime minister, a position he held from 1990 to 2002 under former President Sam Nujoma, after Namibia gained independence from South Africa.
Also, the candidate of the long-governing South West Africa People’s Organization, or SWAPO — 72-year-old Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah — made history by becoming Namibia’s first female president. Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, is the current vice president. Her victory will extend SWAPO’s 34 years in power since it led Namibia to independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990.
Economy and Technology
Egypt and Ethiopia accepted the invitation and officially became BRICS members in January 2024. Initially founded in 2009 as BRIC – by Brazil, Russia, India, and China – the organization grew in 2010 with the addition of South Africa. Landlocked Ethiopia has signed an initial agreement with Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland to use its Red Sea port of Berbera. Ethiopia lost its access to the sea when Eritrea seceded in the early 1990s. With more than 100 million people, it is the most populous landlocked country in the world. Up to now Ethiopia has been using the port in neighbouring Djibouti for the vast majority of its imports and exports.
In 2024, African economies became ever more integrated in global trade, with Kenya progressing towards a trade deal with the USA. However, the continent remains vulnerable to externalities, including an impending American pivot towards protectionism, which threatens to complicate efforts to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) beyond 2025. African governments are unlikely to let the crisis go to waste, revisiting existing trade agreements.
President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s December 2024 travel to Angola was the first visit of a U.S. president to Sub-Saharan Africa since 2015. This end-of-term effort has widely been seen as partly a response to the long-established economic influence of China, whose trade ties and investments over the last few decades have dwarfed those of the U.S. The trip fulfills a promise made by Biden to visit the continent during the Africa leaders summit in Washington DC two years ago.
While South Africa retains its position as Africa’s most industrialized economy, with a diverse economic profile spanning mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and services, it sets the pace for the continent. Also, Egypt’s economy thrives on tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, and a growing ICT sector, leveraging its unique position between Africa and the Middle East. While oil and gas exports drive Algeria’s economy, recent initiatives focus on diversification to ensure sustainable growth across various sectors.
Nigeria’s vast population and rich natural resources still position it as a potential economic powerhouse, despite slipping from its former top position. According to the IMF’s World Economic Outlook, Nigeria’s gross domestic product is estimated at $253 billion based on current prices this year, trailing Algeria’s at $267 billion, Egypt’s at $348 billion, and South Africa’s at $373 billion. Ethiopia’s impressive economic transformation has attracted significant foreign investment, particularly in agriculture, manufacturing, and infrastructure.
The availability and use of digital technologies are strongly linked to economic growth, innovation, job creation, and inclusion, at both the national and regional levels. This year marks a pivotal moment in Africa’s tech sector, characterized by significant strides in fintech, artificial intelligence (AI), telecommunications, e-commerce, and the development of tech hubs. Each of these advancements contributes to a vibrant and rapidly evolving digital ecosystem, positioning Africa as a burgeoning tech powerhouse on the global stage.
In 2024, fintech remained the crown jewel of Nigeria’s tech ecosystem, and Moniepoint emerged as its brightest star. With a $110 million investment led by Google’s Africa Investment Fund, Moniepoint officially achieved unicorn status, with its valuation soaring past $1 billion. The funding will expand its reach, improve digital payment infrastructure, and develop financial products tailored to underserved communities. As technology continues to permeate every aspect of life, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Development Index has become a critical measure of progress.
Social issues and Security
Military juntas in Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, and Mali uniformly delayed and derailed promised elections intended to transition back to democratic civilian rule in 2024, denying citizens a say in the trajectory of these countries. This follows an established pattern in Africa where over 70 percent of leaders who evade term limits initially came to power via military coup. Aside from blocking a resumption of participatory governance, these juntas have been linked to greater levels of repression against independent political actors and media, deteriorating security, and growing economic hardship. The deterioration of security under military rule in the Sahel has resulted in fatalities spiking threefold since 2020.
On 29 June 2024, at least three bomb blasts targeted several areas in Gwoza, Borno State, in northeastern Nigeria, killing 32 people and injuring 48. The first blast struck a wedding ceremony at 3:00 p.m. local time, followed by another at General Hospital Gwoza before a third bombing struck a funeral. Gwoza, a town in southern Borno bordering the Cameroon Republic. It was hitherto declared Boko Haram Territory after it was captured by insurgents with hundreds of people killed before it was later liberated by troops. In a town in Burkina Faso, up to 600 people were shot dead in a matter of hours by al Qaeda-linked militants in an August attack, according to a French government security assessment that nearly doubles the death toll cited in earlier reports. The rising death toll reflects a severe deterioration in security across the Sahel region, where extremist groups have become increasingly active.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), its highest level of alert, due to a new variant of the mpox viral disease in Africa. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has determined that the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR). Also, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, dozens of people, including many children under the age of five, are dying from a new disease. The government is working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to find the causes. Although the report presents a more detailed picture of the outbreak, experts reiterated that the cause remains unknown. The report concludes that the current risk level in the affected region of the DRC is high. Also, Cyclone Chido, the severest storm to hit the French archipelago Mayotte in 90 years, may have killed “several hundred” people according to authorities. Cyclone Chido brought wind speeds of more than 225km/h (140mph), flattening areas where the poorest lived in sheet-metal roof shacks.
What to expect in 2025?
Africans across the continent will be marking a slew of landmark occasions with which to propel that momentum forward. Mozambique, Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe will celebrate 50 years of independence from Portuguese colonial rule, while Gambia will commemorate the 60th anniversary of its independence from the United Kingdom. Later in the year, the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, will turn 50, while the East African Community will mark the 25th anniversary of its reestablishment. For Africa’s future pathway, the year 2025 could perhaps be set as another distinctive new chapter of strategic qualitative development and push for significant growth. Also, these resounding organizational features, at least, make 2025 an African year to facilitate investment and economic development opportunities, and through wide multilateral collaborations, both external investors and stakeholders, for remarkable changes.
Instability in the Horn of Africa, headlined by Sudan’s ongoing conflict but also encompassing Somalia and Ethiopia, will join the Sahel’s expanding violent extremism to drive up urgent demands for humanitarian assistance and an increasingly desperate search for competent security partners as the limits of Russian assistance become clear. Meanwhile, the absence of effective diplomacy for conflict resolution will create new opportunities for states like Turkey and Qatar to expand their influence, and to compete with regional rivals.
The latest breakdown in the Angolan-led talks between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda raises the possibility that the conflict in eastern Congo—which will continue to be costly in any scenario—could heat up with potential destabilizing spillovers. While elections in Africa are not only a political mechanism to choose leaders, but also a tool for social and economic development. They often reflect internal political tensions, citizens’ aspirations, and the state of democracy in each country. In 2025, many nations will face key challenges: maintaining peace and stability, ensuring equal rights and opportunities, and promoting sustainable development.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has sounded the alarm on Africa’s rising debt burden, revealing that Nigeria and other countries on the continent would require an average of $10 billion annually for debt refinancing starting from 2025 to 2033. The re-election of Donald Trump as US president in November 2024 looks set to usher in another era of American isolationism, accompanied by trade tariffs and cuts to funding for development and multilateral agencies. As Donald Kaberuka, former President of the African Development Bank, has argued “Africa and Europe should not sit around working out the implications of Trump 2.0 for their respective continents – rather they should see it as a moment of clarity and press ahead with their international reform agenda.” In 2025, we expect African leaders to diversify their international alliances in order to minimise the fallout.
Conclusively, as the African tech ecosystem heads into 2025, the focus will be on sustainable growth, strategic innovation, and unlocking the potential of underrepresented markets. The year ahead promises to be another defining chapter in the continent’s tech journey. Neutral Fitch Ratings expects the outlook for sub-Saharan Africa sovereigns to be neutral in 2025 reflecting a stronger macroeconomic outlook and modest fiscal consolidation balanced against still-challenging financing conditions and political and insecurity risks.