2025 for Africa will be about seizing opportunities amidst challenges

Electors in more than 17 African countries accounted for a significant proportion of the estimated 3.7 billion people who voted worldwide in 2024. Now that the election year is drawing to a close, many Africans see 2025 as a ‘year of momentum’.

To begin with, Africans across the continent will mark a series of milestones that will enable them to move forward. Mozambique, Cabo Verde and Sao Tome and Principe will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their independence from Portuguese colonial rule, while Gambia will commemorate the 60th anniversary of its independence from the UK. Later in the year, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will celebrate its 50th anniversary, while the East African Community (EAC) will mark the 25th anniversary of its re-establishment.

Next year will also see a number of important political and diplomatic events. The African Union will formally appoint a new set of leaders, including the chair of its permanent commission, at its leaders’ summit in February. At the same meeting, Angolan President Joao Lourenco will assume the rotating chairmanship of the organisation for a period of one year. AU leaders will also meet with their counterparts from the European Union for the seventh AU-EU summit, while African states will join in the collective festivities to celebrate the  80 anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. 

Economically, Africa as a whole is expected to grow by more than 4%, a modest but firm increase on the previous year.

On the economic front, Africa as a whole is expected to grow by more than 4%, a modest but firm increase on the previous year, underlining the resilience of its economies in the face of multiple and intertwined shocks. East Africa is once again expected to lead the charge as the continent’s best-performing region, with the AfDB forecasting that Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Djibouti will see growth rates of 6% or more. High inflation rates and currency volatility in countries such as Nigeria, Angola and Egypt should ease, while budget deficits should stabilise after the pandemic-induced spikes.

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At the same time, the landscape of peace, security and governance in Africa is difficult and remains marked by the risk of deterioration, even if there are positive points. The AU and other African regional institutions continue to struggle to find a balance between the expectations of the continent’s citizens, as well as the international community, and the limited means at their disposal to enforce institutional norms.