Three days to the Africa-France Summit to be held on 8 October, Havas Horizons - the
Complementing the findings of previous editions,the Havas Horizons 2021 barometer reveals thatinvestor perception has evolved considerably in many areas, thus confirming the steady changes of a booming continent.
"International investors are embracing the establishment of AfCFTA, a larger and more integrated African market whose trade barriers will ultimately disappear. It will boost intra-African trade and should serve as a springboard for the continent’s industrialization as well as for the much desired diversification of its economy."
"International investors remain confident about the continent’s future and, throughout our study, they reaffirmed their commitment to keep supporting growth in
Investors remain optimistic on the growth of the African continent
This year again, international investors (84.9%) reaffirm their optimismand renew their confidence in the continent’s economic prospects for 2030.
The top three most attractive countriesthis year areRwanda(48%),
There are still disparities between the major regions where investors wish to increase or maintain their investments.East Africais considered the region with the strongest growth potential with 89.6%, followed byWest
New promising activity sectors
The most promising sectors by 2030 have changed significantly since 2015.The favorites are henceforth infrastructure(62.6%),agriculture(60.6%) andICTs(49%), reflected by the continent’s development needs in the face of demographic, food and technological challenges. Compared with 2015 and 2018, financial services, logistics transport, mass distribution and energy are in decline.
Three main challenges to be met to improve the continent’s attractiveness
According to the investors surveyed, the following are the main challenges the continent should face in improving its attractiveness: improvinginfrastructurequality(53.5%),access to education(50.7%) and thefight against political instability(49.3%). These findings are close to those recorded in previous editions.
Structuring a single market, a new engine for investment
Thedevelopment of the African Continental Free
The main obstacles to investment remain
For nearly 89.6% of respondents,bad governance,political instability and insecurity(57.5%) as well as the low qualification of the workforce (54.4%) remain obstacles to investment. These results echo those of 2015, thus showing the recurring need to address such major issues for the future of the continent.
The way forward...
The study also questions international investors on the contribution of the African Continental Free
Methodology
The Havas Horizons 2021 barometer, produced jointly by the
The survey was enhanced by a series of one-on-one interviews with leading economic managers in
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